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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  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. bowl — to roll
  2. swing — to play on
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — a series
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. can — a tin
  9. staff — a stick
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. swing — music
  12. can — a tin
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. can — to be able to
  15. swing — in golf
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bass — the fish
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bass — low music
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bowl — a football final
  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