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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. key — in music
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. mark — a grade
  10. key — for a lock
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — a short time
  15. pitch — completely
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. wax — to grow
  18. content — happy
  19. content — the amount
  20. key — the most important part
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — for tennis

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