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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. cap — of ice
  3. net — in sport
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. mate — a friend
  6. wax — to grow
  7. net — for catching
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. mate — to breed
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bear — the animal
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. net — after costs
  16. plane — a tool
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. cap — a lid
  19. scale — in music
  20. mate — a partner
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cap — a hat

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