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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. present — the time now
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. can — a tin
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. pitch — completely
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. spell — a short time
  11. field — farmland
  12. spell — magic
  13. field — a subject
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. present — a gift
  16. wax — to grow
  17. sharp — clever
  18. spell — letters
  19. can — to be able to
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. can — a tin
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. field — for sport
  24. stand — to bear

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