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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. key — the most important part
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. squash — to crush
  10. key — for a lock
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. game — wild animals
  13. bass — low music
  14. tube — the underground
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bass — the fish
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. key — in music
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. game — a match

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