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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: key · last · mug · ball · current · tube · bark · swing

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. key — the most important part
  4. last — final
  5. current — happening now
  6. mug — a cup
  7. last — to go on
  8. swing — to play on
  9. current — of water
  10. tube — the underground
  11. mug — a face
  12. key — in music
  13. mug — to rob
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. last — finally
  18. tube — a container
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a great time
  22. swing — music
  23. key — for a lock
  24. current — electric

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