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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. game — wild animals
  9. key — for a lock
  10. game — a match
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — for digging
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bark — to shout
  20. pitch — completely
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. wax — to grow

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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