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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bank — for money
  3. wax — to grow
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pop — to visit
  6. board — a committee
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pop — soda
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fork — in a road
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. tear — from crying
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bank — for money
  20. board — to get on
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. tear — to rip
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. tear — from crying

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