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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. track — a song
  3. cell — a phone
  4. root — the cause
  5. key — for a lock
  6. press — newspapers
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. wax — to grow
  9. ball — a great time
  10. cell — in biology
  11. key — in music
  12. press — to push
  13. root — of a plant
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. root — of a word
  17. track — a path
  18. key — the most important part
  19. ball — a dance
  20. press — a publisher
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. wax — in the ear

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