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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. mark — a trace
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pitch — completely
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bark — to shout
  14. content — the amount
  15. ball — a great time
  16. wound — an injury
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. content — happy
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. mark — a grade
  24. pitch — a sports field

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