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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — completely
  5. present — a gift
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. field — a subject
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. rush — hurry
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. present — the time now
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. field — for sport
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wound — an injury
  18. present — there
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. field — farmland
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rush — to hurry

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