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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 120 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. swing — to play on
  3. object — an aim
  4. tube — a container
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wax — to grow
  7. row — to paddle
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. land — to come down
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — music
  16. land — ground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. land — a country
  19. tube — the underground
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. object — to protest
  22. object — a thing
  23. row — a line
  24. racket — for tennis

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