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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. file — a tool
  4. key — for a lock
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. pit — a hole
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. dip — to sink
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. file — a document
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. pit — in a race
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wax — to grow
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. key — in music
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. file — a line of people

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