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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: key · file · club · foot · mouse · sharp · tube · bore

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. file — a tool
  4. tube — the underground
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. key — in music
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. tube — a container
  10. bore — to tire
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. club — for golf
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — for a lock
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for dancing
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bore — to drill
  19. file — a line of people
  20. foot — a measure
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. file — a document
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. mouse — the animal

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