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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 120 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. tube — a container
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bat — the animal
  5. charge — in control
  6. track — a song
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — for a lock
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. tube — the underground
  15. mate — to breed
  16. key — in music
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mate — a friend
  20. charge — a price
  21. track — to keep track
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. charge — electricity
  24. track — a path

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