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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. key — in music
  3. key — for a lock
  4. charge — electricity
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. rest — what's left
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. tube — a container
  10. rest — a break
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. wound — an injury
  16. tube — the underground
  17. wound — an injury
  18. key — the most important part
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. date — the fruit
  21. rest — what's left
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — a price
  24. stand — to bear

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