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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fine — all right
  5. band — a music group
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. band — a ring
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — to grow
  13. fine — high quality
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. scale — in music
  24. bowl — a football final

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