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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 116 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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — to grow
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — crushed
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pop — music
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. mark — a grade
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. squash — the sport
  12. pop — soda
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. squash — to crush
  15. ground — the earth
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mark — a trace
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. pound — a weight

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