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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. wax — to grow
  7. pitch — completely
  8. scale — in music
  9. saw — the tool
  10. key — in music
  11. rule — government
  12. saw — the tool
  13. key — the most important part
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — to sink
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. key — for a lock
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. scale — size or range
  22. sharp — clever
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. sharp — with an edge

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