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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. tube — a container
  3. key — the most important part
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. degree — an amount
  9. deal — to handle
  10. lean — to bend
  11. degree — from a university
  12. tube — the underground
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. degree — temperature
  16. date — the fruit
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. key — for a lock
  21. key — in music
  22. roll — a list
  23. lean — thin
  24. roll — a cake

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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