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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — a gift
  4. key — for a lock
  5. cap — a hat
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. present — there
  9. game — a match
  10. key — in music
  11. game — wild animals
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a grade
  14. suit — clothes
  15. cap — of ice
  16. mark — a trace
  17. key — the most important part
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. ball — a dance
  21. cap — a lid
  22. ball — a great time
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. suit — in cards

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