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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. game — a match
  4. key — in music
  5. bank — for money
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — for golf
  8. game — wild animals
  9. file — a tool
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. club — a group
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — a container
  14. bank — of a river
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. can — to be able to
  17. key — for a lock
  18. file — a line of people
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bank — for money
  21. file — a document
  22. can — a tin
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. tube — the underground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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