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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. bound — tied together
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. kid — to tease
  6. key — the most important part
  7. ball — a great time
  8. root — of a word
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. kid — child
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — in music
  13. lean — thin
  14. tube — the underground
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — to bend
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. tube — a container
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — certain
  24. ball — a round shape

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