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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  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. land — ground
  2. key — for a lock
  3. wax — to grow
  4. press — newspapers
  5. key — in music
  6. game — wild animals
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — a country
  9. can — to be able to
  10. march — the month
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. march — music
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — to push
  15. pit — a hole
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. can — a tin
  18. march — the month
  19. game — a match
  20. can — a tin
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — in a race
  23. key — the most important part
  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