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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. can — to be able to
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. spell — letters
  8. stand — to bear
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. ball — a great time
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. can — a tin
  14. spell — magic
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. can — a tin
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bass — the fish
  20. rule — a law
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bass — low music
  23. wax — to grow
  24. rule — government

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