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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 is an ace ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. object — an aim
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — in sport
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bass — the fish
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bass — low music
  15. object — a thing
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. object — to protest
  18. wax — to grow
  19. rule — government
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. dip — to sink
  23. rule — a law
  24. saw — the tool

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