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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. charge — in control
  3. cue — for pool
  4. file — a line of people
  5. cue — a signal
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bat — the animal
  9. key — in music
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. charge — a price
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. file — a tool
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. file — a document
  20. charge — electricity
  21. cue — a hint
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. key — for a lock
  24. wax — for sculpting

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