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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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. present — a gift
  4. pit — a hole
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. pitch — completely
  7. lean — to bend
  8. cap — a lid
  9. present — the time now
  10. cap — of ice
  11. club — for golf
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — in a race
  14. club — a group
  15. club — for dancing
  16. fall — to drop
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — thin
  20. wax — to grow
  21. cap — a hat
  22. fall — to drop
  23. present — there
  24. fall — the season

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