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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — in sport
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. object — a thing
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. current — of water
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. object — an aim
  13. current — electric
  14. wax — to grow
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. object — to protest
  19. pound — a weight
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. rash — a series
  23. net — after costs
  24. current — happening now

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