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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — music
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bear — the animal
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. rush — hurry
  9. deal — to handle
  10. board — to get on
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. pop — to visit
  15. scale — in music
  16. board — a committee
  17. scale — size or range
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. coach — a trainer

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