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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.

Make a worksheet

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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — clothes
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. wax — to grow
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. scale — size or range
  8. pit — in a race
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. prune — to trim
  11. field — a subject
  12. pit — a hole
  13. field — for sport
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bass — the fish
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. bass — low music
  22. scale — in music
  23. field — farmland
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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