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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mark — a grade
  9. key — the most important part
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. tube — a container
  13. saw — the tool
  14. key — for a lock
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. key — in music
  19. mark — a trace
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. tube — the underground
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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