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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. key — the most important part
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. wind — moving air
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. stand — to bear
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wind — moving air
  11. key — for a lock
  12. perch — the fish
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. firm — decided
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. date — the fruit
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. key — in music
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. firm — steady
  22. rush — hurry
  23. wax — to grow
  24. firm — a company

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