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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. foot — a measure
  4. key — in music
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bass — low music
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. key — the most important part
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. key — for a lock
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bass — the fish
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. wax — to grow
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. racket — for tennis

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