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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — there
  3. ground — a position
  4. wax — to grow
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. ball — a dance
  7. kid — to tease
  8. deal — to handle
  9. craft — boats
  10. ground — crushed
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. ground — the earth
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. craft — a skill
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. present — a gift
  20. ball — a great time
  21. kid — child
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. deal — a big deal

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