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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. current — happening now
  6. stand — to bear
  7. suit — to fit
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. wax — to grow
  10. firm — decided
  11. season — in sport
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bore — to tire
  15. pitch — completely
  16. suit — in cards
  17. firm — a company
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. current — of water
  21. firm — steady
  22. season — of the year
  23. bore — to drill
  24. current — electric

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