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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 120 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cue — for pool
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — a subject
  7. key — for a lock
  8. field — farmland
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. key — the most important part
  12. cue — a hint
  13. key — in music
  14. mark — a grade
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — the earth
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. mark — a trace
  20. tube — the underground
  21. cue — a signal
  22. tube — a container
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. ground — crushed

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