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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
468
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: pass · game · object · key · ball · wax · coach · field

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. object — an aim
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. game — a match
  5. object — a thing
  6. pass — a permit
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. ball — a great time
  9. field — farmland
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. field — for sport
  15. key — in music
  16. field — a subject
  17. ball — a dance
  18. key — the most important part
  19. wax — to grow
  20. object — to protest
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. game — wild animals
  24. ball — a round shape

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