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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wax — to grow
  3. present — the time now
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — in sport
  7. squash — the sport
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. squash — to crush
  11. rest — what's left
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — there
  14. net — for catching
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bass — low music
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bass — the fish
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. rest — a break
  24. bass — the instrument

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