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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. can — to be able to
  5. tube — the underground
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. key — for a lock
  9. hand — in cards
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. last — to go on
  12. squash — to crush
  13. last — finally
  14. can — a tin
  15. hand — help
  16. net — for catching
  17. can — a tin
  18. net — in sport
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. key — in music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. squash — the sport
  23. last — final
  24. net — after costs

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