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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. key — the most important part
  3. tube — a container
  4. firm — a company
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. ball — a dance
  7. pop — soda
  8. ball — a great time
  9. firm — decided
  10. tube — the underground
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. pop — music
  14. firm — steady
  15. hand — in cards
  16. key — in music
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. stem — to come from
  22. hand — help
  23. key — for a lock
  24. pop — to visit

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