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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. club — for dancing
  3. key — the most important part
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. mug — to rob
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. game — wild animals
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. board — a committee
  13. mug — a face
  14. game — a match
  15. mug — a cup
  16. club — for golf
  17. key — in music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. wax — to grow
  20. board — to get on
  21. drill — a practice
  22. club — a group
  23. drill — army training
  24. bowl — a football final

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