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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 120 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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. pitch — completely
  3. key — in music
  4. staff — employees
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. mark — a grade
  12. squash — to crush
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. track — to keep track
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. staff — a stick
  17. staff — employees
  18. track — a song
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — for a lock
  21. squash — the sport
  22. track — a path
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. mark — a trace

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