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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. pit — in a race
  6. wax — to grow
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. scale — in music
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — a hole
  13. net — after costs
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. wind — moving air
  17. net — in sport
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. stand — to bear
  20. perch — the fish
  21. scale — size or range
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. wind — moving air
  24. stand — on your feet

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