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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stand — to bear
  3. wax — to grow
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — of the year
  10. rock — a stone
  11. squash — to crush
  12. toast — bread
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bass — the fish
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bass — low music
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. season — in sport
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. rock — music

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