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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 is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. stand — to bear
  4. court — of law
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. snap — to click
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bass — low music
  9. wax — to grow
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. court — of a king
  13. track — a path
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a hole
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. court — for sport
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bass — the fish
  24. wax — for sculpting

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