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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — a company
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. row — to paddle
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pitch — completely
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. wound — an injury
  14. net — in sport
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. row — a line
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. net — after costs
  19. firm — decided
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. pitch — a sports field

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