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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. key — for a lock
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. swing — to play on
  8. scale — size or range
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. chip — to eat
  11. key — in music
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bear — the animal
  16. chip — for betting
  17. deal — to handle
  18. scale — in music
  19. key — the most important part
  20. swing — in golf
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. swing — music
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. deal — a big deal

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