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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. cell — in biology
  3. band — a ring
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. band — a music group
  6. bass — low music
  7. net — for catching
  8. bass — the fish
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. net — after costs
  20. cell — a phone
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. net — in sport
  24. wax — for sculpting

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