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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. ground — a position
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rash — hasty
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. wax — to grow
  14. rock — music
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. ground — crushed
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pitch — completely
  23. ground — the earth
  24. rock — a stone

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