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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — the most important part
  3. foot — a measure
  4. track — a path
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. current — of water
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bear — the animal
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. key — in music
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. chip — to eat
  15. current — happening now
  16. bear — the animal
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. track — a song
  22. current — electric
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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