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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 120 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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a dance
  3. net — after costs
  4. fine — all right
  5. rule — government
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. wax — to grow
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — the tool
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — in sport
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. pop — to visit
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. rule — a law
  20. pop — music
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. pop — soda
  23. drill — a practice
  24. fine — high quality

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