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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — in music
  5. rock — a stone
  6. mark — a trace
  7. key — the most important part
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. rule — a law
  10. wax — to grow
  11. track — to keep track
  12. key — in music
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rock — music
  15. rule — government
  16. key — for a lock
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. scale — size or range
  23. track — a song
  24. mark — a grade

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