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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. pop — music
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. pop — to visit
  10. key — for a lock
  11. cap — a lid
  12. race — a contest
  13. spring — the season
  14. race — humankind
  15. key — the most important part
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. race — the arms race
  18. pop — soda
  19. cap — a hat
  20. spring — of water
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. spring — a coil

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