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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. rest — a break
  4. bear — the animal
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. wax — to grow
  11. ground — crushed
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. ground — a position
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. rest — what's left
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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