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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 works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. scale — in music
  4. ground — the earth
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. ground — crushed
  7. firm — steady
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. pitch — completely
  11. wax — to grow
  12. ground — a position
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. snap — to click
  15. firm — decided
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. fine — high quality

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