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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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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: wax · file · bark · can · game · season · key · mate

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. file — a line of people
  3. key — for a lock
  4. file — a document
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. mate — a friend
  7. season — in sport
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — in music
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. file — a tool
  17. bark — to shout
  18. can — a tin
  19. season — of the year
  20. mate — a partner
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. game — a match
  24. mate — to breed

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