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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bank — of a river
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. kick — in football
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. can — a tin
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bank — for money
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pitch — completely
  13. fall — the season
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. can — to be able to
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bank — for money
  20. mark — a trace
  21. fall — to drop
  22. season — in sport
  23. can — a tin
  24. season — of the year

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