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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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  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. row — a quarrel
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. track — to keep track
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. net — in sport
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. net — for catching
  10. march — the month
  11. row — a line
  12. row — to paddle
  13. track — a path
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. stand — to bear
  16. march — the month
  17. toast — bread
  18. pitch — completely
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. net — after costs
  21. track — a song
  22. wax — to grow
  23. march — music
  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