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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. tube — a container
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bass — the fish
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. land — a country
  11. bore — to tire
  12. row — to paddle
  13. bass — low music
  14. land — to come down
  15. tube — the underground
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. wake — a trail
  18. row — a line
  19. land — ground
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — music
  22. key — in music
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to drill

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