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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — to fit
  9. track — a path
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. fork — in a road
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. tube — the underground
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. track — a song
  17. game — a match
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bass — the fish
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. game — wild animals
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. suit — in cards
  24. tube — a container

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