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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. race — a contest
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. race — humankind
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wax — to grow
  11. net — for catching
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. race — the arms race
  14. season — of the year
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — a measure
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. net — after costs
  23. season — in sport
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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