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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: stick · key · cap · rock · band · tube · toast · court

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. band — a ring
  6. court — of law
  7. cap — of ice
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — a stone
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. key — for a lock
  14. court — of a king
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. key — the most important part
  17. tube — a container
  18. rock — music
  19. key — in music
  20. court — for sport
  21. cap — a hat
  22. band — a music group
  23. cap — a lid
  24. toast — bread

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