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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: band · perch · racket · key · board · swing · season · bulb

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. key — in music
  3. board — to get on
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. swing — music
  7. season — of the year
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a music group
  10. board — a committee
  11. swing — in golf
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. key — for a lock
  14. perch — the fish
  15. band — a ring
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bulb — for light
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. season — in sport

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