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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 120 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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. cap — of ice
  3. season — of the year
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. fork — in a road
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. wax — to grow
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. key — in music
  10. season — in sport
  11. key — for a lock
  12. swing — music
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — a committee
  16. key — the most important part
  17. swing — in golf
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. swing — to play on
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cap — a hat
  23. board — to get on
  24. cap — a lid

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