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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. file — a tool
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. key — in music
  6. board — a committee
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. key — for a lock
  11. file — a document
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. pit — a hole
  14. board — to get on
  15. key — the most important part
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — the fruit
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wax — to grow
  21. file — a line of people
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. pit — in a race
  24. jam — in traffic

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