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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: pass · key · toast · file · wound · bowl · swing · root

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. pass — a permit
  3. key — in music
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. toast — bread
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. swing — music
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. wound — an injury
  10. root — of a plant
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. swing — in golf
  15. file — a document
  16. root — the cause
  17. file — a tool
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. key — for a lock
  20. swing — to play on
  21. file — a line of people
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. root — of a word

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