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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. march — the month
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wind — moving air
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. march — music
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. wind — moving air
  10. track — a song
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. march — the month
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. charge — a price
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. charge — electricity
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. track — a path
  23. charge — in control
  24. track — to keep track

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