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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — in music
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pitch — completely
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — certain
  9. squash — the sport
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. club — for dancing
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. club — for golf
  17. wax — to grow
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. squash — to crush
  22. club — a group
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bound — obliged

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