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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. mine — for digging
  3. key — for a lock
  4. kick — in football
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. field — farmland
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wax — to grow
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. field — for sport
  14. ball — a great time
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. key — the most important part
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. bear — the animal
  22. ball — a dance
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. field — a subject

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