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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: race · key · suit · rest · face · degree · court · swing

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. degree — an amount
  3. key — for a lock
  4. court — for sport
  5. degree — from a university
  6. rest — what's left
  7. suit — clothes
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — of law
  10. suit — in cards
  11. swing — to play on
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to point toward
  14. race — the arms race
  15. swing — music
  16. key — the most important part
  17. suit — to fit
  18. degree — temperature
  19. rest — a break
  20. face — to confront
  21. race — humankind
  22. key — in music
  23. race — a contest
  24. rest — what's left

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