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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. fine — high quality
  4. can — a tin
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. stock — shares
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. can — a tin
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. can — to be able to
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — a friend
  21. stock — goods
  22. fine — all right
  23. pitch — completely
  24. mate — to breed

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