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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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468
Word bank
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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. march — the month
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. suit — clothes
  5. pass — a permit
  6. degree — an amount
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. ball — a dance
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — to fit
  12. key — the most important part
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. degree — temperature
  17. key — for a lock
  18. game — a match
  19. key — in music
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. game — wild animals
  23. tube — the underground
  24. degree — from a university

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