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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. cold — an illness
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bank — for money
  6. wax — to grow
  7. scale — size or range
  8. bank — for money
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. can — a tin
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. stand — to bear
  14. scale — in music
  15. cold — not warm
  16. can — to be able to
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. can — a tin
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. pitch — completely
  24. bank — of a river

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