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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: rush · toast · content · swing · fall · fine · key · can

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. key — in music
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. can — a tin
  6. fall — the season
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. fine — all right
  9. content — happy
  10. swing — music
  11. toast — bread
  12. can — a tin
  13. rush — hurry
  14. fall — to drop
  15. content — the amount
  16. fall — to drop
  17. can — to be able to
  18. key — for a lock
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — in golf
  24. fine — high quality

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