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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. rash — a series
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. cell — a phone
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. wax — to grow
  10. game — wild animals
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. stand — to bear
  14. game — a match
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. cell — in biology
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. rash — hasty
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bass — low music

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