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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. game — a match
  4. cap — a hat
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. firm — steady
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. wax — to grow
  10. firm — a company
  11. cap — a lid
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — goods
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. game — wild animals
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. cap — of ice
  24. firm — decided

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