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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. suit — in cards
  8. pop — soda
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — temperature
  13. suit — clothes
  14. degree — from a university
  15. wax — to grow
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. board — to get on
  20. board — a committee
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. suit — to fit

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