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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. drill — army training
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. key — in music
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. key — for a lock
  11. drill — the tool
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. chip — to eat
  14. drill — a practice
  15. wax — to grow
  16. mark — a grade
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. key — the most important part
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. scale — in music
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mark — a trace
  23. scale — size or range
  24. chip — for betting

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