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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: last · pit · game · swing · board · bowl · suit · key

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. key — in music
  3. last — finally
  4. key — the most important part
  5. board — a committee
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. swing — to play on
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. swing — in golf
  11. suit — to fit
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. swing — music
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a match
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. suit — in cards
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. last — to go on
  21. pit — in a race
  22. last — final
  23. suit — clothes
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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