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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. cap — a hat
  4. mate — a partner
  5. tube — a container
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. key — in music
  8. key — the most important part
  9. track — a song
  10. track — a path
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. chest — a box
  13. track — to keep track
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. chest — of your body
  17. tube — the underground
  18. chest — of your body
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a lid
  23. mate — to breed
  24. key — for a lock

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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