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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. present — the time now
  4. firm — a company
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — low music
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. firm — decided
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bear — the animal
  19. squash — to crush
  20. present — a gift
  21. wax — to grow
  22. firm — steady
  23. present — there
  24. trunk — of a tree

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