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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. firm — steady
  4. rash — a series
  5. rock — music
  6. root — of a word
  7. row — a line
  8. root — of a plant
  9. chip — for betting
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. scale — size or range
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. rock — a stone
  15. firm — a company
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. chip — to eat
  18. row — to paddle
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. rash — hasty
  22. wax — to grow
  23. root — the cause
  24. firm — decided

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