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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. pitch — completely
  3. wound — an injury
  4. key — the most important part
  5. court — of a king
  6. suit — to fit
  7. key — in music
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. wax — to grow
  14. key — for a lock
  15. suit — clothes
  16. last — final
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. last — finally
  19. wound — an injury
  20. last — to go on
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. court — of law
  24. court — for sport

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