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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: swing · key · root · fine · cell · pitcher · tube · present

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. root — of a plant
  3. key — in music
  4. swing — to play on
  5. present — there
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — high quality
  8. cell — a phone
  9. root — the cause
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. present — a gift
  12. cell — in biology
  13. key — for a lock
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. swing — in golf
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. tube — the underground
  19. present — the time now
  20. key — the most important part
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. root — of a word
  23. swing — music
  24. tube — a container

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