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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 116 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. wind — moving air
  3. ball — a great time
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. dip — to sink
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. rock — music
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. key — for a lock
  19. ball — a dance
  20. key — in music
  21. rock — a stone
  22. wind — moving air
  23. stand — to bear
  24. key — the most important part

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