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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  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. pitch — completely
  2. wax — to grow
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. spring — a coil
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bound — tied together
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — of water
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bound — certain
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. scale — in music
  16. bound — obliged
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bark — to shout
  24. pitch — a sports field

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