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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 116 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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. scale — in music
  3. last — to go on
  4. scale — size or range
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — goods
  10. mate — a friend
  11. key — in music
  12. mate — to breed
  13. stock — shares
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. last — final
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. last — finally
  19. key — for a lock
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. key — the most important part
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mouse — the animal

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