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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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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bat — the animal
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. pitch — completely
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. pitch — a sports field

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