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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 120 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. tube — the underground
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. key — in music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. mine — for digging
  8. key — the most important part
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bass — the fish
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. tube — a container
  14. bass — low music
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cue — for pool
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. ground — crushed
  19. cue — a hint
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cue — a signal
  24. ground — a position

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