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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. file — a tool
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. land — ground
  8. scale — size or range
  9. wax — to grow
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bore — to drill
  12. squash — to crush
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a line of people
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. squash — the sport
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. land — a country
  23. stand — to bear
  24. land — to come down

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