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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 116 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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. mug — to rob
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bass — low music
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — the time now
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. present — there
  11. mug — a face
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bass — the fish
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — to grow
  18. mug — a cup

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