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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bat · bass · nail · key · saw · cue · tube · calf

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bass — low music
  5. key — in music
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bass — the fish
  10. cue — a hint
  11. key — for a lock
  12. saw — the tool
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bat — the animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. saw — the tool
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. tube — a container
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. cue — for pool

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