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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. swing — music
  3. net — in sport
  4. tube — a container
  5. rock — a stone
  6. saw — the tool
  7. dip — to sink
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. race — the arms race
  10. saw — the tool
  11. race — a contest
  12. swing — in golf
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. swing — to play on
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. tube — the underground
  22. wax — to grow
  23. race — humankind
  24. net — after costs

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