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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bound — obliged
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bound — certain
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. ball — a great time
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a dance
  18. row — a line
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bass — low music
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bound — tied together
  24. wax — to grow

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