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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. rest — what's left
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pop — soda
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. ball — a dance
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. ball — a great time
  14. game — wild animals
  15. pop — music
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. wax — to grow
  19. rest — a break
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — low music
  22. game — a match
  23. pop — to visit
  24. rest — what's left

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