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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. firm — decided
  3. bear — the animal
  4. firm — a company
  5. wax — to grow
  6. game — a match
  7. march — music
  8. lie — to recline
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. stock — shares
  11. march — the month
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. cue — for pool
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — goods
  17. bear — the animal
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. firm — steady
  20. march — the month
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. cue — a signal
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wax — in the ear

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