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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. firm — a company
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. spell — a short time
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. club — a group
  8. firm — decided
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. firm — steady
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. stock — shares
  15. club — for golf
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. wax — to grow
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. spell — letters
  22. club — for dancing
  23. stock — goods
  24. vault — a safe

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