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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bass — low music
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. club — for golf
  5. wax — to grow
  6. last — final
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. court — for sport
  9. can — to be able to
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. court — of a king
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. court — of law
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. club — a group
  18. tube — the underground
  19. last — to go on
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. can — a tin
  22. tube — a container
  23. club — for dancing
  24. last — finally

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