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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. wind — moving air
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. mug — a face
  7. ball — a dance
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — high quality
  10. ball — a great time
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — the sport
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mug — to rob
  15. fine — all right
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. scale — size or range
  19. tube — a container
  20. wax — to grow
  21. tube — the underground
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. squash — to crush
  24. mug — a cup

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