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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. key — the most important part
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. swing — to play on
  8. tube — a container
  9. last — to go on
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. swing — in golf
  14. tube — the underground
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. key — for a lock
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. key — in music
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. swing — music
  23. last — finally
  24. last — final

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