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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — to grow
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pit — a hole
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — a group
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. club — for dancing
  19. pit — in a race
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. stand — to bear
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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