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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitch — completely
  3. wax — to grow
  4. stock — shares
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. row — a line
  7. row — to paddle
  8. hand — help
  9. current — happening now
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. stock — goods
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. hand — in cards
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. current — of water
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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