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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. board — to get on
  3. present — the time now
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. prune — to trim
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. chip — to eat
  12. mark — a grade
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pitch — completely
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. present — there
  18. chip — for betting
  19. board — a committee
  20. mark — a trace
  21. present — a gift
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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