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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. object — an aim
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. rush — hurry
  5. club — a group
  6. object — a thing
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. club — for golf
  9. chest — of your body
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. club — for dancing
  12. wax — to grow
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a dance
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. pitch — completely
  19. object — to protest
  20. chest — a box
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. chest — of your body
  24. ball — a round shape

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