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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 116 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. file — a line of people
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. charge — a price
  6. key — in music
  7. cue — for pool
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. charge — in control
  12. file — a document
  13. object — to protest
  14. charge — electricity
  15. cue — a signal
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pitch — completely
  21. file — a tool
  22. cue — a hint
  23. object — an aim
  24. wax — to grow

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