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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. key — the most important part
  9. pop — to visit
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. key — in music
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. wax — to grow
  19. pop — soda
  20. bore — to drill
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. key — for a lock
  23. pitch — completely
  24. bowl — a football final

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