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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: temple · swing · row · mug · cell · key · season · ground

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. mug — to rob
  3. key — in music
  4. row — to paddle
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. cell — a phone
  8. swing — in golf
  9. mug — a face
  10. ground — a position
  11. season — in sport
  12. swing — music
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. mug — a cup
  15. season — of the year
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. ground — the earth
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. key — the most important part
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. key — for a lock
  22. cell — in biology
  23. row — a line
  24. swing — to play on

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