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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. bass — the fish
  3. track — a song
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. craft — boats
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. chair — a leader
  11. track — to keep track
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. ground — the earth
  17. track — a path
  18. craft — a skill
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bass — low music
  22. deal — to handle
  23. wax — to grow
  24. ground — crushed

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