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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 120 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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. can — a tin
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. scale — size or range
  8. object — an aim
  9. can — to be able to
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. can — a tin
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. object — a thing
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — completely
  22. scale — in music
  23. object — to protest
  24. chair — a leader

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