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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. mine — for digging
  3. lie — to recline
  4. current — happening now
  5. rock — music
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. key — the most important part
  10. deal — to handle
  11. rock — a stone
  12. key — for a lock
  13. current — of water
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. key — in music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. tube — the underground
  20. current — electric
  21. tube — a container
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. scale — size or range

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