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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. track — a song
  5. track — a path
  6. scale — in music
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. wax — to grow
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. can — a tin
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. can — to be able to
  15. track — to keep track
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. hand — help
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. lie — to recline
  21. can — a tin
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. hand — in cards
  24. arm — part of the body

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