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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: jam · wax · racket · chest · date · arm · key · mouse

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. key — for a lock
  8. chest — a box
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. key — the most important part
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. wax — to grow
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. chest — of your body
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. chest — of your body
  22. key — in music
  23. date — the fruit
  24. mouse — the animal

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