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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. cell — in biology
  3. key — in music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bear — the animal
  6. key — for a lock
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. ball — a dance
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. ball — a great time
  11. pit — a hole
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. pit — in a race
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bear — the animal
  20. cell — a phone
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — there
  23. bank — of a river
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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