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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  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. tube — a container
  2. present — the time now
  3. mark — a grade
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a great time
  6. tube — the underground
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — there
  9. mark — a trace
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bass — the fish
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — to paddle
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. ball — a dance
  22. row — a line
  23. key — for a lock
  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