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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. mine — for digging
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. board — to get on
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. track — a path
  16. bark — to shout
  17. board — a committee
  18. track — a song
  19. mug — a face
  20. track — to keep track
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. mine — an explosive

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