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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 116 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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. wound — an injury
  7. lean — thin
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. racket — for tennis

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