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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. net — for catching
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. key — in music
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. key — the most important part
  7. field — for sport
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. net — in sport
  10. wax — to grow
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. vault — a safe
  13. field — farmland
  14. mug — to rob
  15. rule — government
  16. file — a line of people
  17. mug — a face
  18. key — for a lock
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. rule — a law
  21. file — a document
  22. net — after costs
  23. mug — a cup
  24. field — a subject

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