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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 116 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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. stem — to come from
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — a stone
  11. ground — a position
  12. wax — to grow
  13. rock — music
  14. ground — crushed
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. game — wild animals
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. game — a match
  24. wax — in the ear

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