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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  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 — the underground
  2. track — to keep track
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. track — a song
  6. key — for a lock
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. key — the most important part
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. vault — a safe
  14. track — a path
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. toast — bread
  17. tube — a container
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. can — to be able to
  22. pitch — completely
  23. tube — in a tire
  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