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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. bound — certain
  6. key — in music
  7. press — a publisher
  8. bound — tied together
  9. ball — a great time
  10. wax — to grow
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. capital — money
  13. press — newspapers
  14. can — a tin
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. press — to push
  17. can — a tin
  18. bound — obliged
  19. ball — a dance
  20. can — to be able to
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — for a lock
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. capital — a city

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