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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. chest — of your body
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. suit — in cards
  9. chest — a box
  10. scale — size or range
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. chest — of your body
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. wax — to grow
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — a permit
  19. suit — to fit
  20. suit — clothes
  21. deal — to handle
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — in music
  24. pass — to succeed

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