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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. scale — in music
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. track — to keep track
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. track — a path
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. net — for catching
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — to grow
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bulb — for light
  15. scale — size or range
  16. pass — a permit
  17. net — in sport
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. charge — in control
  20. net — after costs
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. charge — a price
  23. bulb — for light
  24. track — a song

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