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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. wax — to grow
  5. land — to come down
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. net — in sport
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. net — for catching
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. bulb — for light
  17. land — a country
  18. chair — a leader
  19. pit — in a race
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. net — after costs
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. land — ground

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