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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. can — to be able to
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. can — a tin
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — to visit
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. track — to keep track
  9. perch — the fish
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. chip — for betting
  12. wax — to grow
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. track — a path
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. can — a tin
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bat — the animal
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. chip — to eat
  23. track — a song
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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