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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. pitch — completely
  3. key — in music
  4. march — music
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. march — the month
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. march — the month
  10. key — for a lock
  11. track — to keep track
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — to eat
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. key — the most important part
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. track — a song
  20. wax — to grow
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. track — a path

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