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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 120 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. ball — a great time
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. current — electric
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. current — happening now
  18. rash — a series
  19. scale — size or range
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. scale — in music
  24. current — of water

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