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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: key · ball · club · swing · fall · coach · fine · present

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. fall — the season
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. swing — in golf
  6. fine — all right
  7. club — for golf
  8. swing — music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. swing — to play on
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — the time now
  14. fall — to drop
  15. ball — a dance
  16. key — the most important part
  17. present — there
  18. club — for dancing
  19. ball — a great time
  20. key — in music
  21. club — a group
  22. fall — to drop
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. ball — a round shape

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