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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. mark — a grade
  3. march — the month
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. net — in sport
  7. craft — boats
  8. wax — to grow
  9. net — for catching
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. march — the month
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bass — the fish
  17. foot — a measure
  18. craft — a skill
  19. mine — for digging
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. march — music
  23. mark — a trace
  24. net — after costs

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