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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. fine — all right
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. roll — a cake
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. object — an aim
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. object — to protest
  20. mark — a trace
  21. fine — high quality
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. wax — to grow
  24. object — a thing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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