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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 116 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. club — for dancing
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. content — the amount
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bass — the fish
  9. club — a group
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. mate — a friend
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. bass — low music
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. mate — to breed
  18. content — happy
  19. club — for golf
  20. pound — a weight
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. mate — a partner
  24. pound — to hit hard

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