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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for dancing
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. pass — a permit
  12. wax — to grow
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. band — a ring
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. deal — to handle
  21. band — a music group
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. can — to be able to
  24. pass — to spend time

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