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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. object — to protest
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. object — a thing
  6. swing — music
  7. ground — a position
  8. club — for golf
  9. ground — crushed
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. club — for dancing
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. ground — the earth
  14. pound — a weight
  15. object — an aim
  16. club — a group
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. wax — to grow
  21. plane — a tool
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. swing — in golf
  24. wax — in the ear

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