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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. object — an aim
  3. ground — a position
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. object — to protest
  6. stand — to bear
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. object — a thing
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. fine — all right
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — to grow
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. ground — crushed
  18. pit — a hole
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. ground — the earth
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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