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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. perch — the fish
  4. rock — music
  5. degree — an amount
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. rock — a stone
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a ring
  12. swing — music
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. band — a music group
  15. key — in music
  16. degree — temperature
  17. swing — to play on
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — for a lock
  20. degree — from a university
  21. swing — in golf
  22. tube — a container
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. vault — a safe

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