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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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468
Word bank
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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. degree — an amount
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. net — in sport
  12. degree — temperature
  13. net — for catching
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. net — after costs
  16. key — in music
  17. key — the most important part
  18. band — a ring
  19. fork — in a road
  20. tube — the underground
  21. degree — from a university
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. key — for a lock
  24. band — a music group

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