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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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Word bank
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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. pitch — completely
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stand — to bear
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. current — of water
  15. wax — to grow
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. current — happening now
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. current — electric

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