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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  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. club — for golf
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bass — the fish
  5. club — for dancing
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — a practice
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — to grow
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. prune — to trim
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. club — a group
  18. scale — in music
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. drill — army training
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bass — low music
  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