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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. wax — to grow
  4. last — to go on
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. content — happy
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. last — final
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. last — finally
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bore — to drill
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. craft — boats
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — the amount
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bore — to tire

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