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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. tube — a container
  4. wax — to grow
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bound — certain
  7. net — after costs
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. season — in sport
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. net — for catching
  12. pitch — completely
  13. tube — the underground
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — tied together
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. sharp — clever
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. net — in sport

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