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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. fine — high quality
  6. net — after costs
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. content — the amount
  10. fine — all right
  11. net — in sport
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — in music
  14. net — for catching
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. content — happy
  17. key — the most important part
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. wax — to grow
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. mark — a trace

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