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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rock — music
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. track — a song
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. scale — size or range
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. rock — a stone
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — in music
  12. chip — for betting
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. track — to keep track
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. chip — to eat
  24. track — a path

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