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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. object — a thing
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. spring — the season
  6. key — the most important part
  7. court — for sport
  8. bark — to shout
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. object — an aim
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. court — of a king
  15. lie — to recline
  16. court — of law
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. tube — a container
  21. spring — of water
  22. key — in music
  23. tube — the underground
  24. lie — an untruth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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