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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. key — in music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. court — of law
  6. bank — for money
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. season — in sport
  10. key — the most important part
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. court — for sport
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. wax — to grow
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. season — of the year
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. court — of a king
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bank — of a river
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. date — the fruit

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