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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. deal — to handle
  6. cap — of ice
  7. pitch — completely
  8. object — to protest
  9. kick — in football
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. cap — a lid
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. object — a thing
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. wax — to grow
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. object — an aim
  19. mine — for digging
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. cap — a hat
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. pitcher — a jug

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