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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: can · rash · kid · ball · wake · swing · stem · key

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. ball — a dance
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. swing — in golf
  5. rash — a series
  6. kid — to tease
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — in music
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. swing — music
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. stem — to come from
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. ball — a great time
  20. swing — to play on
  21. can — a tin
  22. rash — hasty
  23. kid — child
  24. stem — of a plant

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