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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. fine — high quality
  4. ground — crushed
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bound — obliged
  7. club — for dancing
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — tied together
  12. shower — to wash
  13. deal — to handle
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fine — all right
  16. ground — a position
  17. club — a group
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. shower — rain
  20. wax — to grow
  21. ground — the earth
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. club — for golf

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