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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. rest — a break
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. rest — what's left
  7. march — music
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. key — in music
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. march — the month
  13. key — for a lock
  14. wake — a trail
  15. key — the most important part
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — a group
  23. march — the month
  24. coach — a trainer

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