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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. deal — to handle
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. bass — the fish
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. sharp — clever
  10. can — to be able to
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bound — tied together
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. present — the time now
  16. bound — obliged
  17. can — a tin
  18. present — there
  19. can — a tin
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bound — certain
  24. wax — to grow

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