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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 120 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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. chest — of your body
  3. club — a group
  4. bulb — for light
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. key — in music
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. key — for a lock
  12. club — for golf
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. chest — of your body
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. club — for dancing
  18. track — a path
  19. tube — a container
  20. track — to keep track
  21. chest — a box
  22. track — a song
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bowl — a football final

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