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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. cap — of ice
  3. key — in music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — for a lock
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. lean — thin
  9. foot — a measure
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. lean — to bend
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — electric
  15. current — of water
  16. cap — a lid
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. cap — a hat
  19. stock — shares
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. stock — goods
  23. wax — to grow
  24. foot — part of the body

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