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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. key — the most important part
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rock — a stone
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. key — for a lock
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. rest — what's left
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. swing — in golf
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a great time
  15. swing — music
  16. key — in music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. tear — from crying
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rest — a break
  23. rock — music
  24. fan — to cool the air

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