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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. swing — in golf
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bat — the animal
  7. wax — to grow
  8. board — a committee
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. date — the fruit
  15. swing — music
  16. mug — a cup
  17. board — to get on
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. mug — a face
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. drill — a practice

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