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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. current — of water
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — to grow
  7. degree — temperature
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. root — of a plant
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. degree — an amount
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. fine — all right
  17. root — of a word
  18. current — electric
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. degree — from a university
  21. current — happening now
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. root — the cause
  24. saw — the tool

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