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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. can — a tin
  5. bore — to tire
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bore — to drill
  15. degree — an amount
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. degree — from a university
  19. degree — temperature
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. can — to be able to
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. can — a tin

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