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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — completely
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. kid — child
  5. track — a song
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. current — of water
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. track — a path
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. track — to keep track
  14. sharp — clever
  15. chair — a leader
  16. kid — to tease
  17. wake — a trail
  18. current — electric
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — to grow
  21. current — happening now
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. chair — a professorship

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