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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 120 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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — a grade
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. drill — a practice
  5. net — after costs
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. sharp — clever
  12. chair — a leader
  13. net — in sport
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. drill — the tool
  16. net — for catching
  17. drill — army training
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. wax — to grow
  24. cabinet — ministers

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