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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 ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  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. pound — a weight
  2. pitch — completely
  3. swing — music
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. object — to protest
  8. swing — in golf
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. object — an aim
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. sharp — clever
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. wax — to grow
  18. object — a thing
  19. rash — a series
  20. stem — to come from
  21. rash — hasty
  22. swing — to play on
  23. sharp — exactly
  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