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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. suit — to fit
  5. hand — help
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. suit — clothes
  8. fine — all right
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. mate — to breed
  12. fine — high quality
  13. scale — in music
  14. wax — to grow
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mate — a friend
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. hand — in cards
  22. mark — a trace
  23. suit — in cards
  24. mark — a grade

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