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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. rock — a stone
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. swing — to play on
  6. ground — crushed
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. fine — all right
  14. swing — in golf
  15. ground — the earth
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. pound — a weight
  19. ground — a position
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. swing — music
  24. rock — music

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