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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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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: mine · root · wound · suit · wind · board · key · swing

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. swing — music
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. root — the cause
  5. swing — to play on
  6. board — a committee
  7. suit — to fit
  8. root — of a plant
  9. mine — for digging
  10. swing — in golf
  11. key — the most important part
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — in cards
  16. root — of a word
  17. key — for a lock
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — to get on
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wind — moving air
  23. key — in music
  24. wind — moving 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