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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · cabinet · key · kick · nail · board · bay · swing

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. content — the amount
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. key — for a lock
  9. board — to get on
  10. key — the most important part
  11. board — a committee
  12. swing — music
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. key — in music
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. content — happy
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. swing — to play on
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bay — a part of the sea

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com