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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: key · hide · club · ruler · last · tube · mine · pitcher

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. tube — a container
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. last — final
  11. key — the most important part
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. last — finally
  14. key — in music
  15. last — to go on
  16. key — for a lock
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for golf
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — for digging
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — in a tire

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