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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. mark — a trace
  3. net — in sport
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. key — the most important part
  6. pitch — completely
  7. wax — to grow
  8. net — after costs
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. ground — a position
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. key — in music
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — the earth
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. key — for a lock
  21. mark — a grade
  22. perch — the fish
  23. net — for catching
  24. mark — to pay attention

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