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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: key · jam · wake · row · board · cold · suit · swing

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. board — to get on
  3. row — a line
  4. cold — an illness
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. suit — in cards
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. board — a committee
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. suit — clothes
  12. swing — in golf
  13. cold — not warm
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. row — to paddle
  17. swing — to play on
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. key — for a lock
  21. swing — music
  22. wake — a trail
  23. suit — to fit
  24. key — the most important part

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