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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 116 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. scale — in music
  3. mug — to rob
  4. firm — steady
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. firm — a company
  7. mug — a face
  8. game — wild animals
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. land — ground
  12. mug — a cup
  13. game — a match
  14. ground — the earth
  15. lean — to bend
  16. ground — crushed
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. wax — to grow
  19. scale — size or range
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. ground — a position
  22. firm — decided
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. land — a country

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