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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. tube — a container
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. bass — the fish
  6. key — in music
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. mark — a grade
  9. key — the most important part
  10. mark — a trace
  11. tube — the underground
  12. key — for a lock
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a ring
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bass — low music
  18. wake — a trail

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