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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. file — a tool
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. key — for a lock
  11. tube — a container
  12. file — a document
  13. bass — the fish
  14. key — the most important part
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bass — low music
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. key — in music

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