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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pound — a weight
  3. scale — size or range
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. scale — in music
  8. pop — music
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. mark — a grade
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — to grow
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. pop — to visit
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wind — moving air
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pop — soda
  24. wind — moving air

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