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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. clip — for paper
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. court — for sport
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. clip — to cut
  8. court — of law
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. clip — a video
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. court — of a king
  20. scale — size or range
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. temple — a place of worship

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