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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. track — a song
  3. firm — a company
  4. craft — a skill
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. craft — boats
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. track — a path
  10. present — the time now
  11. wax — to grow
  12. firm — decided
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. track — to keep track
  15. sharp — clever
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. present — there
  20. firm — steady
  21. pound — a weight
  22. present — a gift
  23. chair — a leader
  24. wax — for sculpting

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