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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. deal — to handle
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. wax — to grow
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — a position
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. pound — a weight
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. stock — shares
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. rush — hurry
  23. stock — goods
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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