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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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. key — for a lock
  3. pop — to visit
  4. band — a ring
  5. key — in music
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — a trail
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. foot — a measure
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. band — a music group
  13. game — wild animals
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. pop — music
  16. game — a match
  17. pop — soda
  18. tube — a container
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. tube — the underground
  22. key — the most important part
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. game — a kind of play

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