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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. squash — the sport
  3. pit — a hole
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. key — in music
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — for golf
  14. sharp — clever
  15. chair — a leader
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. club — a group
  19. key — the most important part
  20. squash — to crush
  21. pit — in a race
  22. wax — to grow
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. fan — a supporter

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