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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. wax — to grow
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. perch — the fish
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. mine — for digging
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — music
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. pop — to visit
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pitch — a sports field

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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