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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.

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: bass · current · tube · bat · wave · court · pit · key

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — in music
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a hole
  7. court — of law
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. court — for sport
  12. tube — a container
  13. current — of water
  14. bass — low music
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. court — of a king
  17. bass — the fish
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. current — happening now
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. key — the most important part
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. current — electric
  24. bat — the animal

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