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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. cue — a hint
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. bass — low music
  6. wax — to grow
  7. foot — a measure
  8. cue — for pool
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. pop — soda
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bass — the fish
  15. spell — magic
  16. cue — a signal
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. pop — music
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. pound — a weight
  21. spell — letters
  22. pop — to visit
  23. spell — a short time
  24. chair — a leader

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