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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: spell · key · wake · tube · swing · field · court · club

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. key — in music
  3. spell — letters
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. spell — magic
  7. swing — music
  8. court — for sport
  9. key — the most important part
  10. club — a group
  11. spell — a short time
  12. club — for golf
  13. key — for a lock
  14. swing — to play on
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — of law
  17. field — for sport
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. tube — the underground
  20. field — a subject
  21. club — for dancing
  22. wake — a trail
  23. field — farmland
  24. tube — a container

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