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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 120 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. wax — to grow
  3. swing — music
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. ground — a position
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. swing — to play on
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. ground — crushed
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. swing — in golf
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. ground — the earth
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. scale — size or range
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. arm — part of the body

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