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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 116 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: spell · saw · swing · land · deal · key · suit · board

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. suit — clothes
  3. spell — letters
  4. land — ground
  5. saw — the tool
  6. swing — music
  7. key — for a lock
  8. suit — in cards
  9. board — a committee
  10. spell — a short time
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. suit — to fit
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. spell — magic
  17. key — the most important part
  18. saw — the tool
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. swing — to play on
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — a country
  24. swing — in golf

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