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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pit — in a race
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. pit — a hole
  7. ground — the earth
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. mug — a face
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. scale — in music
  14. mug — to rob
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. wax — to grow
  17. fine — all right
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. ground — a position
  20. fine — high quality
  21. mine — for digging
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. mug — a cup
  24. wax — in the ear

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