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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. fine — all right
  3. bat — the animal
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. rock — a stone
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. hand — help
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. current — happening now
  10. tube — the underground
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. current — of water
  15. key — the most important part
  16. rock — music
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. current — electric
  20. fine — high quality
  21. prune — to trim
  22. key — in music
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bat — in an idiom

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