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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. pop — music
  3. spell — letters
  4. mate — to breed
  5. tube — a container
  6. key — in music
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. charge — in control
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. pop — to visit
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. charge — electricity
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. pop — soda
  17. tube — the underground
  18. spell — a short time
  19. key — for a lock
  20. spell — magic
  21. mate — a friend
  22. charge — a price
  23. date — the fruit
  24. mate — a partner

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