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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. swing — music
  3. fork — in a road
  4. rest — what's left
  5. toast — bread
  6. press — a publisher
  7. swing — to play on
  8. pass — a permit
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. rest — a break
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. swing — in golf
  15. wax — to grow
  16. press — to push
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. rest — what's left
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. press — newspapers
  22. ball — a great time
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. fork — a garden tool

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