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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. tube — the underground
  4. row — to paddle
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. tube — a container
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. prune — to trim
  10. key — the most important part
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. row — a line
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. key — in music
  19. prune — to trim
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. game — wild animals
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. game — a match

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