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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. rock — a stone
  3. object — an aim
  4. key — in music
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. season — in sport
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. rock — music
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — to protest
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. key — the most important part
  13. game — a match
  14. wax — to grow
  15. game — wild animals
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — to visit
  21. chair — a leader
  22. pop — soda
  23. key — for a lock
  24. wax — in the ear

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