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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 is an ace ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — of the year
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. wax — to grow
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. board — a committee
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. fall — to drop
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. mark — a trace
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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