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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 120 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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  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. staff — a stick
  2. bank — for money
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bank — of a river
  5. wax — to grow
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. net — after costs
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. staff — employees
  11. sharp — clever
  12. net — for catching
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. staff — employees
  18. net — in sport
  19. bank — for money
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. foot — a measure
  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