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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 124 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. key — for a lock
  3. wax — to grow
  4. firm — a company
  5. present — a gift
  6. charge — electricity
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. key — the most important part
  9. race — a contest
  10. content — happy
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. race — the arms race
  13. field — farmland
  14. key — in music
  15. field — for sport
  16. content — the amount
  17. race — humankind
  18. charge — a price
  19. present — the time now
  20. field — a subject
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — decided
  24. charge — in control

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