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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. club — a group
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. game — wild animals
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. pitch — completely
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. track — to keep track
  13. club — for golf
  14. game — a match
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — to grow
  20. track — a song
  21. track — a path
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. club — for dancing

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