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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. pitch — completely
  3. court — for sport
  4. root — of a word
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. cap — a lid
  8. root — of a plant
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — of ice
  11. court — of law
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. root — the cause
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wax — to grow
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. fine — all right
  19. court — of a king
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wax — for sculpting

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