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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 116 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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. land — a country
  7. land — ground
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. drill — a practice
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. craft — boats
  13. pit — a hole
  14. land — to come down
  15. drill — army training
  16. ball — a dance
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. craft — a skill
  20. drill — the tool
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. pit — in a race

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