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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — an aim
  5. bark — to shout
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. pitch — completely
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. rest — what's left
  11. object — to protest
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. wax — to grow
  17. rest — a break
  18. game — wild animals
  19. current — electric
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. current — of water
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. game — a match

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