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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wax — to grow
  6. firm — decided
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — for golf
  9. firm — steady
  10. club — a group
  11. key — the most important part
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. pitch — completely
  17. press — a publisher
  18. press — newspapers
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. firm — a company
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. key — in music
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. press — to push

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