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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a hole
  5. wax — to grow
  6. pop — soda
  7. tear — from crying
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. net — in sport
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. net — for catching
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. pop — music
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — to rip
  22. mine — for digging
  23. net — after costs
  24. safe — a strongbox

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