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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. drill — army training
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — for a lock
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. can — to be able to
  8. key — in music
  9. can — a tin
  10. spell — a short time
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. drill — the tool
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — letters
  18. date — the fruit
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. can — a tin
  21. tube — the underground
  22. chip — to eat
  23. drill — a practice
  24. chip — for betting

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