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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pop · field · pass · key · ruler · fan · tube · row

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. key — for a lock
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — a line
  6. row — to paddle
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pop — soda
  11. key — in music
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. field — farmland
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. tube — a container
  16. field — a subject
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. field — for sport
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pop — music
  24. fan — to cool the air

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