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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 116 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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bank — for money
  4. tube — a container
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bound — obliged
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the fish
  11. key — in music
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bound — certain
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. bound — tied together
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. key — for a lock
  23. tube — the underground
  24. squash — to crush

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