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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. key — for a lock
  3. game — a match
  4. key — in music
  5. bank — for money
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. date — the fruit
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. wax — to grow
  11. game — wild animals
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. cell — in biology
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bank — of a river
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bank — for money
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. cell — a phone
  22. key — the most important part
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. game — a kind of play

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