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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. spring — of water
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. club — for golf
  10. spring — a coil
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — a container
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — completely
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. key — in music
  17. club — for dancing
  18. rash — a series
  19. spring — the season
  20. tube — the underground
  21. rash — hasty
  22. key — the most important part
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. club — a group

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