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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — in cards
  4. tube — a container
  5. key — the most important part
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. firm — steady
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. key — for a lock
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — a company
  15. current — happening now
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tear — from crying
  18. current — electric
  19. current — of water
  20. suit — to fit
  21. kid — child
  22. key — in music
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — low music

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