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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — size or range
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. track — a path
  5. root — of a word
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a song
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. lie — to recline
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. root — the cause
  15. vault — a safe
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — there
  19. wax — to grow
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. present — the time now
  22. root — of a plant
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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