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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bore — to tire
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. track — a song
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bore — to drill
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. wax — for sculpting

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