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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stem — to come from
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. wax — to grow
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. pitch — completely
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — goods
  19. tube — a container
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. tube — the underground

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