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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. pop — music
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. pop — soda
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pop — to visit
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. season — of the year
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wax — to grow
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. season — in sport
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bowl — a dish

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