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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. kid — to tease
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. kid — child
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. cap — a hat
  7. net — in sport
  8. cap — of ice
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. ball — a dance
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. bank — for money
  16. net — after costs
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. wax — to grow
  19. mark — a grade
  20. cap — a lid
  21. net — for catching
  22. toast — bread
  23. mark — a trace
  24. ball — a great time

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