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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 116 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: racket · tube · last · fan · bore · key · spell · march

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bore — to drill
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. last — final
  5. key — the most important part
  6. tube — the underground
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. tube — a container
  9. bore — to tire
  10. spell — magic
  11. key — in music
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. spell — a short time
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. spell — letters
  16. key — for a lock
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. march — the month
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — finally
  22. march — the month
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. march — music

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