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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  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. pitch — completely
  2. suit — clothes
  3. root — of a word
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. bass — low music
  6. root — of a plant
  7. scale — size or range
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. charge — a price
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. charge — electricity
  15. suit — to fit
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. charge — in control
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. wax — to grow
  20. scale — in music
  21. suit — in cards
  22. root — the cause
  23. bass — the fish
  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