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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  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. mate — a partner
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pop — soda
  4. wax — to grow
  5. mate — a friend
  6. rule — government
  7. pop — music
  8. rule — a law
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. game — a match
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. mate — to breed
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. stand — to bear
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pound — a weight
  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