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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. game — wild animals
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bass — low music
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — a match
  9. foot — a measure
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bass — the fish
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. can — a tin
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. plane — a tool
  18. wax — to grow

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