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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. tube — the underground
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. pop — soda
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bound — certain
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bound — tied together
  18. rush — hurry
  19. pitch — completely
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bound — obliged
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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