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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. wound — an injury
  3. net — in sport
  4. current — happening now
  5. march — the month
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. net — for catching
  11. key — in music
  12. mug — a face
  13. tube — the underground
  14. current — of water
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. net — after costs
  18. key — for a lock
  19. mug — to rob
  20. key — the most important part
  21. mug — a cup
  22. wound — an injury
  23. current — electric
  24. season — in sport

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