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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. band — a ring
  3. board — a committee
  4. track — a song
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. track — a path
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. rest — a break
  15. wax — to grow
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. foot — a measure
  18. board — to get on
  19. track — to keep track
  20. rest — what's left
  21. band — a music group
  22. rest — what's left
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. pit — a hole

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