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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. lean — thin
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. key — the most important part
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — completely
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pass — a permit
  12. game — wild animals
  13. prune — to trim
  14. lean — to bend
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — in music
  17. wax — to grow
  18. game — a match
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wax — for sculpting

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