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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. can — a tin
  4. rest — what's left
  5. firm — a company
  6. rest — a break
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. rest — what's left
  9. land — a country
  10. firm — steady
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. firm — decided
  14. can — a tin
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. can — to be able to
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. wax — to grow
  20. land — ground
  21. land — to come down
  22. pitch — completely
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. fork — in a road

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