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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. pop — music
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. current — happening now
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. present — there
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. pit — in a race
  11. current — of water
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pop — soda
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wax — to grow
  17. pop — to visit
  18. current — electric
  19. face — to confront
  20. present — the time now
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. present — a gift
  24. pitch — completely

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