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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. drill — the tool
  7. suit — in cards
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. drill — army training
  10. rash — a series
  11. bass — low music
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. last — finally
  14. wax — to grow
  15. last — to go on
  16. date — the fruit
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — the fish
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. drill — a practice
  23. suit — to fit
  24. last — final

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