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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: content · jam · prune · hand · toast · swing · key · dip

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. swing — in golf
  3. toast — bread
  4. dip — to sink
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. key — the most important part
  7. content — the amount
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. swing — to play on
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. content — happy
  14. hand — help
  15. key — for a lock
  16. hand — in cards
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. swing — music
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. dip — a sauce

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