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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bat · racket · fall · pop · bay · foot · deal · wax

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. deal — to handle
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. fall — to drop
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. wax — to grow
  10. pop — to visit
  11. foot — a measure
  12. fall — the season
  13. pop — music
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. pop — soda

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