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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. cap — of ice
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wind — moving air
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. snap — to click
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. wax — to grow
  15. stand — to bear
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — a lid
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pitch — completely
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. foot — a measure

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