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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. tube — the underground
  4. track — to keep track
  5. key — in music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. fine — high quality
  8. press — to push
  9. key — the most important part
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. spell — a short time
  12. track — a song
  13. fine — all right
  14. tube — a container
  15. rock — music
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. rock — a stone
  18. spell — magic
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. spell — letters
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — a publisher
  23. track — a path
  24. rock — to move gently

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