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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — low music
  3. ball — a dance
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. track — to keep track
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bass — the fish
  12. wax — to grow
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to sink
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ball — a great time
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. track — a path
  19. prune — to trim
  20. track — a song
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. chair — a leader
  24. dip — to dunk

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