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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. track — to keep track
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — soda
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bass — low music
  12. wax — to grow
  13. track — a song
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pop — to visit
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — to get on
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. track — a path
  23. pitch — completely
  24. wax — in the ear

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