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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — a hat
  5. track — a path
  6. track — a song
  7. squash — to crush
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. cap — of ice
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. squash — the sport

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