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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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. bank — for money
  4. bass — the fish
  5. track — to keep track
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bank — of a river
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bank — for money
  10. spell — magic
  11. bass — low music
  12. track — a song
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. wax — to grow
  15. spell — a short time
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. mate — a partner
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. track — a path
  20. spell — letters
  21. mate — a friend
  22. perch — the fish
  23. mate — to breed
  24. perch — for a bird

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