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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. present — a gift
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. degree — from a university
  9. present — the time now
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. degree — temperature
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bear — the animal
  19. degree — an amount
  20. present — there
  21. club — a group
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bear — the animal

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