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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — in cards
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bulb — for light
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. track — a song
  13. track — a path
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — music
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. rest — what's left
  19. track — to keep track
  20. pop — soda
  21. wax — to grow
  22. rest — a break
  23. suit — clothes
  24. straw — dry grass

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