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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. deal — to handle
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bat — the animal
  7. race — a contest
  8. key — for a lock
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. wax — to grow
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — in music
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. current — of water
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. current — electric
  20. scale — size or range
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. race — the arms race
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. race — humankind

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