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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. tube — a container
  3. key — in music
  4. bank — for money
  5. pop — to visit
  6. staff — employees
  7. fine — high quality
  8. key — for a lock
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — music
  11. bank — for money
  12. hand — help
  13. staff — a stick
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bank — of a river
  18. key — the most important part
  19. staff — employees
  20. fine — all right
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — the underground
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bat — the animal

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