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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 120 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: kid · bay · swing · dip · drill · game · race · key

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. kid — child
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. swing — in golf
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. race — a contest
  13. key — for a lock
  14. game — a match
  15. key — in music
  16. race — humankind
  17. swing — to play on
  18. race — the arms race
  19. drill — army training
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. game — wild animals
  22. swing — music
  23. kid — to tease
  24. key — the most important part

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