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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 took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. track — a path
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. track — a song
  6. squash — the sport
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. squash — to crush
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. craft — boats
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. craft — a skill
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. track — to keep track
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. chair — a leader

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