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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. band — a ring
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. net — after costs
  8. firm — steady
  9. wax — to grow
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. rash — a series
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. date — the fruit
  15. fine — high quality
  16. rash — hasty
  17. net — in sport
  18. firm — a company
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. fine — all right
  22. net — for catching
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. band — a music group

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