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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. wax — to grow
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. perch — the fish
  7. pitch — completely
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rush — hurry
  11. stand — to bear
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — the sport
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. dip — to sink
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. squash — to crush
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. mine — for digging
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — a sauce

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