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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. ball — a dance
  5. track — to keep track
  6. rash — hasty
  7. staff — a stick
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. ball — a great time
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bass — low music
  13. wax — to grow
  14. present — the time now
  15. bass — the fish
  16. staff — employees
  17. track — a song
  18. staff — employees
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. present — there
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. track — a path
  23. present — a gift
  24. bass — the instrument

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