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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  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. wax — for sculpting
  2. land — to come down
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bass — low music
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. firm — a company
  11. board — a committee
  12. land — ground
  13. firm — decided
  14. board — to get on
  15. firm — steady
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  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