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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 120 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. wax — to grow
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. wound — an injury
  9. stock — shares
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stock — goods
  12. kid — child
  13. kid — to tease
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. stand — to bear
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. hide — to keep secret

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