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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. kid — child
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a dance
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. kid — to tease
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. wax — to grow
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — a group
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. deal — to handle
  19. ball — a great time
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. club — for golf
  24. stand — on your feet

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