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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wound — an injury
  3. scale — in music
  4. pit — a hole
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — the earth
  11. scale — size or range
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — in cards
  16. net — for catching
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. net — after costs
  19. wound — an injury
  20. pit — in a race
  21. ground — crushed
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. net — in sport
  24. suit — clothes

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