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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. season — in sport
  6. swing — music
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — a permit
  9. tube — the underground
  10. swing — to play on
  11. wax — to grow
  12. season — of the year
  13. swing — in golf
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. tube — a container
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bulb — for light
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pitch — completely

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