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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. pitch — completely
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. ball — a dance
  12. can — a tin
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wax — to grow
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. perch — the fish
  19. ball — a great time
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — belonging to me

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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