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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. fork — in a road
  3. squash — to crush
  4. scale — size or range
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — the sport
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. current — of water
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wax — to grow
  13. current — happening now
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a match
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. wake — a trail
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. current — electric
  24. mouse — for a computer

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