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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. ground — the earth
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stem — to come from
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. pitch — completely
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rest — a break
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. ground — crushed
  23. branch — a division
  24. ground — a position

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