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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: toast · field · kick · jam · shower · march · swing · key

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. march — music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. field — farmland
  6. swing — music
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — for sport
  12. key — for a lock
  13. march — the month
  14. swing — in golf
  15. march — the month
  16. key — in music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. toast — bread
  22. shower — rain
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

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

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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