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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bat — the animal
  3. cap — a lid
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bound — obliged
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. cap — a hat
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. ball — a dance
  12. key — in music
  13. shower — rain
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — certain
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. tube — a container
  23. key — for a lock
  24. safe — out of danger

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