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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 120 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: field · lie · rush · key · fan · swing · club · row

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. club — for golf
  3. key — in music
  4. club — for dancing
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. swing — to play on
  7. row — a line
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. key — the most important part
  10. swing — in golf
  11. field — farmland
  12. key — for a lock
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. field — a subject
  19. rush — hurry
  20. swing — music
  21. club — a group
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. field — for sport
  24. fan — to cool the air

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