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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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. ball — a dance
  4. suit — clothes
  5. key — for a lock
  6. ground — the earth
  7. capital — a city
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. capital — money
  10. ball — a great time
  11. race — the arms race
  12. suit — in cards
  13. wax — to grow
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ground — crushed
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. key — in music
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. race — a contest
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. race — humankind
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. ground — a position
  24. key — the most important part

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