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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. wax — to grow
  4. degree — from a university
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. club — for golf
  7. current — electric
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. degree — an amount
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. club — for dancing
  16. current — happening now
  17. rest — what's left
  18. current — of water
  19. degree — temperature
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. rock — music
  24. club — a group

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