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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 120 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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. key — in music
  4. charge — a price
  5. key — for a lock
  6. degree — from a university
  7. fine — high quality
  8. tube — a container
  9. cue — a signal
  10. mine — for digging
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. fine — all right
  17. charge — electricity
  18. key — the most important part
  19. cue — for pool
  20. stand — to bear
  21. cue — a hint
  22. charge — in control
  23. degree — temperature
  24. degree — an amount

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