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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 116 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. club — for golf
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stock — goods
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. key — in music
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — soda
  11. bulb — for light
  12. deal — to handle
  13. key — the most important part
  14. club — a group
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. stock — shares
  17. wax — to grow
  18. face — to point toward
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. face — part of the head
  21. key — for a lock
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. face — to confront
  24. club — for dancing

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