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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: court · tube · key · mate · mine · saw · jam · stick

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. court — for sport
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. court — of a king
  12. mate — to breed
  13. key — for a lock
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. mine — for digging
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. court — of law
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. tube — a container
  21. key — the most important part
  22. mate — a partner
  23. tube — the underground
  24. mate — a friend

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