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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. branch — a division
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a match
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. wax — to grow
  14. tear — from crying
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bass — low music
  17. tear — to rip
  18. club — a group
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bear — the animal
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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