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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. game — wild animals
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. key — the most important part
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — the underground
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. key — for a lock
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pass — a permit
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — a series
  18. mark — a grade
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. game — a match
  21. mark — a trace
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. rash — hasty
  24. coach — a trainer

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