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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. charge — electricity
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. charge — a price
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. scale — in music
  11. club — a group
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. club — for golf
  14. ground — crushed
  15. charge — in control
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. ground — a position
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. club — for dancing
  21. scale — size or range
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. wax — to grow

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