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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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. pitch — a sports field
  4. net — after costs
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. present — the time now
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. chip — for betting
  12. present — there
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — for catching
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wax — to grow
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. present — a gift
  23. chip — to eat
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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