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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. net — in sport
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cell — in biology
  6. key — the most important part
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. tube — a container
  11. net — for catching
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. net — after costs
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cell — a phone
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — size or range
  21. tube — the underground
  22. scale — for weighing
  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