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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. cue — for pool
  6. rule — government
  7. pitch — completely
  8. rule — a law
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. court — of a king
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. court — for sport
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. court — of law
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — a signal

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