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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. rash — a series
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. pit — a hole
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bark — to shout
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. pound — a weight
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ball — a great time
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pit — in a race
  21. rash — hasty
  22. wax — to grow
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wax — for sculpting

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