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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 116 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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. current — electric
  7. current — of water
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. current — happening now
  11. field — farmland
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. pitch — completely
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. field — a subject
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. sharp — clever
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. field — for sport
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. squash — to crush
  24. pitch — a sales talk

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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