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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: stock · present · key · swing · firm · wave · band · march

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. swing — music
  3. march — the month
  4. march — the month
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — the time now
  8. stock — shares
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. present — there
  12. firm — steady
  13. stock — goods
  14. band — a music group
  15. key — for a lock
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. swing — in golf
  18. band — a ring
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — decided
  21. key — the most important part
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. march — music
  24. swing — to play on

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