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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. game — a match
  4. foot — a measure
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. ball — a great time
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. game — wild animals
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. ball — a dance
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — high quality
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lie — to recline
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. wax — to grow
  24. fine — all right

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