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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 120 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. board — a committee
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. game — wild animals
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. game — a match
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. race — the arms race
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. key — for a lock
  11. wax — to grow
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — the amount
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. key — in music
  17. key — the most important part
  18. race — humankind
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. race — a contest
  22. content — happy
  23. board — to get on
  24. pitcher — a jug

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