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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. can — a tin
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bass — low music
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bound — obliged
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bound — certain
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. pop — to visit
  15. scale — in music
  16. pop — soda
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. pop — music
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bass — the fish

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