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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. fork — in a road
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. wax — to grow
  8. pop — music
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. snap — to click
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. court — of a king
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. pop — soda
  19. pitch — completely
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. court — of law
  23. court — for sport
  24. straw — dry grass

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