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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. track — a song
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — all right
  8. ball — a dance
  9. lean — thin
  10. track — a path
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bank — of a river
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bank — for money
  15. mate — a partner
  16. lean — to bend
  17. mate — a friend
  18. ball — a great time
  19. track — to keep track
  20. wax — to grow
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bank — for money
  24. wax — for sculpting

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