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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. cold — an illness
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. tube — a container
  8. chip — for betting
  9. staff — employees
  10. key — in music
  11. staff — employees
  12. date — the fruit
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. ball — a dance
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. cold — not warm
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. staff — a stick
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — the underground
  22. chip — to eat
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — for a lock

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