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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. key — for a lock
  3. ball — a dance
  4. rush — hurry
  5. tube — the underground
  6. key — in music
  7. tube — a container
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. suit — in cards
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. suit — clothes
  12. march — music
  13. suit — to fit
  14. deal — to handle
  15. key — the most important part
  16. march — the month
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. date — the fruit
  23. march — the month
  24. date — on the calendar

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