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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: trunk · squash · bowl · spell · suit · swing · key · game

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. key — in music
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. spell — letters
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — in golf
  7. key — for a lock
  8. squash — the sport
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. swing — to play on
  12. suit — clothes
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. spell — a short time
  16. key — the most important part
  17. squash — to crush
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. suit — in cards
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. spell — magic

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