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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. key — the most important part
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. ball — a dance
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — soda
  7. band — a ring
  8. pop — music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. key — in music
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. band — a music group
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bore — to tire
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bore — to drill
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bowl — a dish

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