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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. sharp — clever
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. staff — a stick
  8. staff — employees
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. pit — in a race
  11. club — a group
  12. pitch — completely
  13. ball — a dance
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. club — for dancing
  19. pit — a hole
  20. staff — employees
  21. wax — to grow
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. club — for golf
  24. pitch — a sports field

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