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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. club — for dancing
  3. firm — decided
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. cap — a hat
  7. land — ground
  8. club — a group
  9. perch — the fish
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — steady
  13. sharp — clever
  14. wax — to grow
  15. cap — of ice
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. squash — to crush
  18. club — for golf
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. land — a country
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. squash — the sport
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. cap — a lid

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