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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 124 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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bear — the animal
  5. degree — an amount
  6. bank — of a river
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. degree — temperature
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bank — for money
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. degree — from a university
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bank — for money
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. chair — a professorship

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