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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. bear — the animal
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. pop — music
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. pop — to visit
  8. dip — to sink
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wake — a trail
  13. last — final
  14. last — finally
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. stock — goods
  17. wax — to grow
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pop — soda
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. stock — shares

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