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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. key — the most important part
  3. tube — the underground
  4. rash — hasty
  5. tube — a container
  6. key — in music
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bound — obliged
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. key — for a lock
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bound — certain
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. hand — in cards
  19. bound — tied together
  20. hand — help
  21. bass — the fish
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — a series

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