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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 120 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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. ball — a dance
  6. root — of a word
  7. wax — to grow
  8. firm — decided
  9. bound — certain
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. pitch — completely
  13. net — in sport
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bound — tied together
  17. net — for catching
  18. firm — a company
  19. root — the cause
  20. firm — steady
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. net — after costs
  23. root — of a plant
  24. ball — a great time

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