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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. perch — the fish
  5. track — a path
  6. pitch — completely
  7. bear — the animal
  8. track — a song
  9. spell — a short time
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. wax — to grow
  16. spell — magic
  17. can — a tin
  18. spell — letters
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. track — to keep track
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bear — the animal

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