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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 116 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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bound — tied together
  3. file — a tool
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a grade
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bound — obliged
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bulb — for light
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. scale — in music
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mark — a trace
  21. file — a line of people
  22. scale — size or range
  23. bound — certain
  24. file — a document

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