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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. key — the most important part
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — boats
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. kick — in football
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — for betting
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. tube — the underground
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. key — for a lock
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. tube — a container
  18. snap — to click
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. key — in music
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. date — the fruit
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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