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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bass — the fish
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. root — of a word
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mug — a face
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bass — low music
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a cup
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — the cause

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