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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. tear — to rip
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. ball — a dance
  5. suit — clothes
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. roll — a cake
  8. shower — rain
  9. tube — the underground
  10. key — for a lock
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tube — a container
  13. shower — to wash
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — to fit
  16. key — in music
  17. ball — a great time
  18. key — the most important part
  19. scale — size or range
  20. roll — a list
  21. scale — in music
  22. tear — from crying
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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