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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. firm — a company
  3. staff — employees
  4. race — the arms race
  5. wax — to grow
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. staff — a stick
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. staff — employees
  11. foot — a measure
  12. tear — to rip
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. tear — from crying
  15. race — a contest
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. tear — from crying
  19. race — humankind
  20. firm — steady
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. firm — decided
  23. pitch — completely
  24. trunk — of a tree

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