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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cap — a hat
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. wax — to grow
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — the fruit
  12. cap — a lid
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. cap — of ice

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