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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. pop — to visit
  4. net — for catching
  5. pitch — completely
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. mug — to rob
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. mug — a face
  11. bore — to tire
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. pop — music
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mug — a cup
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. net — after costs
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pop — soda
  23. bore — to drill
  24. calf — of the leg

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