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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pitch — completely
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. rest — a break
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. wax — to grow
  13. mug — to rob
  14. ground — a position
  15. mug — a cup
  16. rest — what's left
  17. scale — in music
  18. ground — crushed
  19. rest — what's left
  20. ground — the earth
  21. mug — a face
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitcher — a jug

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