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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. key — in music
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bass — the fish
  7. race — a contest
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. race — humankind
  10. cue — a signal
  11. deal — to handle
  12. cue — for pool
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. face — to confront
  17. pitch — completely
  18. race — the arms race
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bass — low music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. face — to point toward

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