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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 124 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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bear — the animal
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. pound — a weight
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fine — all right
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. wax — to grow
  18. fine — high quality
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. toast — bread
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — to hit hard

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