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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. key — for a lock
  3. race — a contest
  4. court — of law
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. key — in music
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. swing — in golf
  11. court — of a king
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. wax — to grow
  15. race — humankind
  16. swing — music
  17. race — the arms race
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — a measure
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. court — for sport
  23. key — the most important part
  24. foot — part of the body

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