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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. current — of water
  4. staff — employees
  5. current — electric
  6. current — happening now
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pop — soda
  9. fine — all right
  10. staff — employees
  11. fine — high quality
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. staff — a stick
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. wax — to grow
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. toast — bread

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