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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: fall · tube · bowl · chest · mark · can · pop · key

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. mark — a grade
  3. key — the most important part
  4. pop — soda
  5. chest — a box
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. fall — to drop
  8. can — to be able to
  9. fall — the season
  10. key — in music
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — to visit
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — of your body
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. key — for a lock
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. can — a tin
  21. fall — to drop
  22. tube — a container
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. can — a tin

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