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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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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: root · row · tube · pit · ruler · ball · key · cell

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. key — in music
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. tube — a container
  6. cell — a phone
  7. tube — the underground
  8. ball — a dance
  9. row — a line
  10. ball — a great time
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. key — for a lock
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. pit — a hole
  17. cell — in biology
  18. root — of a word
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. row — to paddle
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — the cause
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cell — in a prison

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