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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 120 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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — low music
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bass — the fish
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. root — of a plant
  12. fork — in a road
  13. wax — to grow
  14. rule — a law
  15. root — of a word
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. root — the cause
  18. board — a committee
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. pound — a weight
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rule — government

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