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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bat — the animal
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — goods
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stock — shares
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. fine — all right
  15. cue — for pool
  16. fine — high quality
  17. band — a music group
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — a signal
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. band — a ring
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. scale — in 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