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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. court — for sport
  4. wax — to grow
  5. key — the most important part
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — a weight
  8. court — of law
  9. court — of a king
  10. roll — a list
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. last — final
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. key — in music
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. last — to go on
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. key — for a lock
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. last — finally
  24. mouse — for a computer

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