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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mug — a face
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. press — a publisher
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — to push
  14. mug — a cup
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. deal — to handle
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bass — low music
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mug — to rob
  22. wax — to grow
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. nail — on a finger

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