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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. key — in music
  3. hand — help
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. spring — the season
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — a container
  13. spring — of water
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. band — a ring
  16. suit — in cards
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — the most important part
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — low music
  22. spring — a coil
  23. hand — in cards
  24. band — a music 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