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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. club — for dancing
  6. rule — government
  7. wax — to grow
  8. rule — a law
  9. chair — a leader
  10. pitch — completely
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bound — obliged
  13. club — for golf
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. stock — goods
  17. bound — tied together
  18. tear — to rip
  19. club — a group
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. bound — certain
  23. tear — from crying
  24. stock — shares

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