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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. scale — in music
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. wax — to grow
  5. pitch — completely
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rest — a break
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rest — what's left
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. deal — to handle
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. rest — what's left
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. scale — size or range
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. rush — a thrill

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