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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bore — to drill
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. scale — in music
  7. bass — low music
  8. scale — size or range
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. can — to be able to
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bore — to tire
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. can — a tin
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. can — a tin
  21. mine — for digging
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bass — the fish
  24. chair — a leader

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