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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: key · swing · spring · track · chair · jam · fall · board

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. track — to keep track
  3. spring — a coil
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. track — a path
  6. chair — a leader
  7. fall — to drop
  8. swing — in golf
  9. fall — to drop
  10. spring — of water
  11. fall — the season
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. board — a committee
  15. swing — to play on
  16. key — for a lock
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. key — in music
  21. board — to get on
  22. key — the most important part
  23. track — a song
  24. swing — music

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