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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — letters
  4. board — a committee
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. sharp — clever
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. spell — a short time
  10. suit — clothes
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. suit — in cards
  14. board — to get on
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bass — low music
  18. wax — to grow
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bass — the fish
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. racket — for tennis

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