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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — to bend
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. craft — a skill
  11. march — music
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. lean — thin
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wax — to grow
  16. craft — boats
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pound — for dogs

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