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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 120 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. ground — the earth
  3. rock — music
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — a weight
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. ground — a position
  9. board — to get on
  10. tube — a container
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rock — a stone
  14. board — a committee
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. bat — the animal

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