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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: game · toast · pop · pass · swing · deal · tube · key

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. key — for a lock
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. key — in music
  6. toast — bread
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — to handle
  9. swing — music
  10. swing — in golf
  11. tube — a container
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. game — wild animals
  14. key — the most important part
  15. game — a match
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. pop — to visit
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. pop — music
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. pop — soda
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — a permit
  24. tube — the underground

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