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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. mine — for digging
  4. row — to paddle
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. pitch — completely
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. object — a thing
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. row — a line
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — a container
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. object — to protest
  19. wax — to grow
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. tube — the underground
  23. object — an aim
  24. rock — a stone

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