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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. cell — a phone
  3. can — to be able to
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. wax — to grow
  7. can — a tin
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — in a road
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — a trace
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. can — a tin
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. game — wild animals

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