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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 120 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: rush · key · tube · fan · content · cabinet · bass · nail

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bass — low music
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. rush — hurry
  9. key — in music
  10. tube — the underground
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. content — happy
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. content — the amount
  15. tube — a container
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bass — the fish
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — for a lock

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