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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 120 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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. row — to paddle
  5. craft — boats
  6. wind — moving air
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — an aim
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. key — the most important part
  12. stand — to bear
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. key — for a lock
  16. wind — moving air
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. key — in music
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. craft — a skill
  21. row — a line
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wax — to grow
  24. pitch — completely

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