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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. net — after costs
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. net — in sport
  6. ground — crushed
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — a permit
  14. wind — moving air
  15. toast — bread
  16. tube — the underground
  17. ground — a position
  18. net — for catching
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. ground — the earth
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wax — in the ear

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