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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. plane — a tool
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. tube — the underground
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wound — an injury
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. tube — a container
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. mate — a partner
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. mate — a friend
  21. key — in music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. mate — to breed

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