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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. swing — music
  4. mate — a friend
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pop — soda
  7. rock — music
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. wax — to grow
  11. pop — music
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. rock — a stone
  14. swing — to play on
  15. pop — to visit
  16. mate — a partner
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. swing — in golf
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. mate — to breed
  21. pitch — completely
  22. dip — to sink
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. stand — to bear

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