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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 116 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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. firm — steady
  4. rock — a stone
  5. band — a music group
  6. can — a tin
  7. pop — soda
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. wax — to grow
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — an aim
  14. ball — a great time
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. pop — music
  18. rock — music
  19. can — a tin
  20. band — a ring
  21. firm — a company
  22. can — to be able to
  23. firm — decided
  24. pop — to visit

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