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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: hide · cabinet · key · tube · deal · ball · bat · ground

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bat — the animal
  6. key — the most important part
  7. ball — a dance
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. ground — a position
  14. key — for a lock
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — a container
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. ground — crushed
  20. key — in music
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ball — a great time
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. ground — the earth

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