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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. tube — a container
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. cue — a signal
  6. swing — music
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. cue — for pool
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. rash — a series
  15. track — a path
  16. rash — hasty
  17. track — a song
  18. key — the most important part
  19. track — to keep track
  20. key — in music
  21. swing — in golf
  22. tube — the underground
  23. cue — a hint
  24. key — for a lock

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