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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.

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: mouse · tube · key · ball · bass · hand · pass · rest

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bass — low music
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. rest — a break
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a great time
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. key — in music
  15. hand — help
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rest — what's left
  18. tube — the underground
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bass — the fish
  22. pass — a permit
  23. hand — in cards
  24. pass — to spend time

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