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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: mate · stick · safe · pitch · tube · key · last · mouse

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. last — to go on
  3. mate — a partner
  4. tube — a container
  5. key — the most important part
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. tube — the underground
  9. pitch — completely
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. key — in music
  15. key — for a lock
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. mate — to breed
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. last — final
  22. last — finally
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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