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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. degree — temperature
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. degree — from a university
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. roll — a cake
  11. roll — a list
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wax — to grow
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. toast — bread
  21. degree — an amount
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cabinet — ministers

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