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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  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. key — for a lock
  2. current — electric
  3. season — in sport
  4. kick — in football
  5. chair — a leader
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. march — the month
  11. current — of water
  12. wax — to grow
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. key — the most important part
  15. current — happening now
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. key — in music
  18. cue — for pool
  19. march — music
  20. cue — a hint
  21. march — the month
  22. cue — a signal
  23. season — of the year
  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