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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. wax — to grow
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. present — there
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — clothes
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. present — a gift
  11. deal — to handle
  12. tube — the underground
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. fork — in a road
  16. present — the time now
  17. tube — a container
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bat — the animal
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. suit — to fit

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