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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 116 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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  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. tube — in a tire
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. root — of a plant
  10. tube — a container
  11. key — the most important part
  12. firm — a company
  13. root — the cause
  14. vault — a safe
  15. degree — temperature
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. tube — the underground
  18. hand — help
  19. root — of a word
  20. firm — decided
  21. degree — from a university
  22. degree — an amount
  23. firm — steady
  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