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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. wax — to grow
  6. scale — in music
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bass — low music
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. can — a tin
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bass — the fish
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. can — a tin
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. prune — to trim
  24. scale — size or range

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