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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bore — to tire
  6. ball — a great time
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. rest — what's left
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. squash — to crush
  12. wake — a trail
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wax — to grow
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to drill
  18. squash — the sport
  19. track — a path
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. rest — a break
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a song
  24. pitcher — a jug

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