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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wax — to grow
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. scale — size or range
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — music
  11. root — of a plant
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. root — the cause
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. scale — in music
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. root — of a word
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. pound — a weight
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bulb — for light
  24. sharp — clever

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