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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. file — a line of people
  6. drill — a practice
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. lean — to bend
  9. file — a document
  10. lean — thin
  11. tube — a container
  12. pitch — completely
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — the tool
  15. file — a tool
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. ball — a great time
  18. key — for a lock
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — a friend
  21. tube — the underground
  22. mate — to breed
  23. key — in music
  24. ball — a dance

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