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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 116 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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. club — a group
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. press — a publisher
  10. wax — to grow
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. pitch — completely
  13. rule — government
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. club — for dancing
  17. stock — goods
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. press — to push
  20. press — newspapers
  21. rule — a law
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stock — shares
  24. club — for golf

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