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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 124 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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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: dip · chair · pit · object · row · mouse · wax · pound

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — in a race
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. dip — to sink
  10. row — to paddle
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pound — a weight
  18. chair — a leader
  19. row — a line
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. object — a thing
  22. wax — to grow
  23. object — to protest
  24. pound — for dogs

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