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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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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: patient · bass · key · firm · charge · plane · wake · swing

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — in music
  3. charge — in control
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bass — low music
  6. wake — a trail
  7. firm — decided
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. firm — steady
  10. swing — music
  11. firm — a company
  12. key — the most important part
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. charge — electricity
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — in golf
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. charge — a price
  22. bass — the fish
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. plane — a tool

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