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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bass — the fish
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. key — the most important part
  8. field — a subject
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wax — to grow
  13. key — in music
  14. field — farmland
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. foot — a measure
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. pitch — completely
  20. key — for a lock
  21. field — for sport
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. season — of the year
  24. bass — low music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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