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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. scale — in music
  4. fine — all right
  5. swing — music
  6. fine — high quality
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. swing — in golf
  9. root — of a word
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. swing — to play on
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. scale — size or range
  18. root — the cause
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. root — of a plant

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