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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. wax — to grow
  3. stem — to come from
  4. track — to keep track
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bore — to tire
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. track — a song
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bore — to drill
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. rush — hurry
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. pit — in a race
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. track — a path

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