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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 120 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. row — to paddle
  4. suit — to fit
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. suit — in cards
  8. ball — a dance
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — to handle
  11. row — a line
  12. suit — clothes
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bat — the animal
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. key — in music
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. key — for a lock
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — a container
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a great time
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. deal — an agreement

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