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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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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. game — a match
  3. tube — a container
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. key — the most important part
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bass — the fish
  10. key — for a lock
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. bass — low music
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pitch — completely
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. tube — the underground
  19. prune — to trim
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. prune — the fruit

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