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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. object — an aim
  6. toast — bread
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. land — ground
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. wax — to grow
  12. firm — decided
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. firm — a company
  15. object — a thing
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. firm — steady
  21. land — to come down
  22. object — to protest
  23. date — the fruit
  24. land — a country

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