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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: foot · wax · mate · bass · stick · ground · game · cabinet

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bass — the fish
  4. mate — a partner
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. ground — a position
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. mate — a friend
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. ground — crushed
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. ground — the earth
  17. game — a match
  18. bass — low music
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. mate — to breed

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