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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. tube — the underground
  3. club — for dancing
  4. staff — employees
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. key — in music
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. club — a group
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. club — for golf
  11. charge — a price
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. tube — a container
  14. staff — employees
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bat — the animal
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. charge — electricity
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. key — for a lock
  24. charge — in control

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