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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. foot — a measure
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. key — in music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. wax — to grow
  10. face — to point toward
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. stand — to bear
  13. date — the fruit
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pitch — completely
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. key — the most important part
  18. face — part of the head
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. face — to confront
  24. date — on the calendar

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