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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 116 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: key · pitch · squash · shower · track · rule · tube · lash

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. key — for a lock
  4. track — a path
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. rule — government
  7. squash — to crush
  8. tube — a container
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. shower — rain
  11. pitch — completely
  12. track — a song
  13. track — to keep track
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. shower — to wash
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. key — the most important part
  19. squash — the sport
  20. tube — the underground
  21. key — in music
  22. rule — a law
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. squash — the vegetable

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