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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 116 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — in music
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. key — for a lock
  6. tube — the underground
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. squash — the sport
  12. deal — to handle
  13. tube — a container
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. key — the most important part
  17. can — to be able to
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. can — a tin
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. can — a tin
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. key — in music

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