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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. ball — a dance
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. pop — to visit
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pop — soda
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. wax — to grow
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pitch — completely
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pop — music
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. wax — in the ear

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