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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. content — the amount
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. cap — a hat
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. club — a group
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — for dancing
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. content — happy
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. chair — a leader
  17. dip — to sink
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — of ice
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. wax — to grow

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