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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. present — a gift
  6. bound — obliged
  7. roll — a cake
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bound — certain
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. present — there
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. roll — a list
  21. present — the time now
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — in music
  24. key — for a lock

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