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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. scale — in music
  4. squash — the sport
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. suit — to fit
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. staff — employees
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. wax — to grow
  11. pitch — completely
  12. foot — a measure
  13. staff — employees
  14. scale — size or range
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. suit — in cards
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. suit — clothes
  20. squash — to crush
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a dance
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. scale — for weighing

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