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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. wax — to grow
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bulb — for light
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. row — to paddle
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — completely
  14. row — a line
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. wake — a trail
  18. game — a match
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. mark — a trace
  24. wax — for sculpting

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