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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. scale — size or range
  4. charge — a price
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. scale — in music
  7. wax — to grow
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. pop — soda
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. charge — electricity
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — the arms race
  17. row — a line
  18. charge — in control
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. race — a contest
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. can — a tin
  24. row — to paddle

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