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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 120 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. clip — to cut
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. pit — in a race
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. club — for golf
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. clip — a video
  12. pit — a hole
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — to grow
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — to eat
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. deal — to handle
  23. clip — for paper
  24. club — a group

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