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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. roll — a cake
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. can — to be able to
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — obliged
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — in a road
  16. roll — a list
  17. pass — a permit
  18. wax — to grow
  19. can — a tin
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. can — a tin

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