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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  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. present — the time now
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wound — an injury
  9. prune — to trim
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. present — there
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. scale — size or range
  14. squash — to crush
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. chip — for betting
  17. squash — the sport
  18. stand — to bear
  19. chip — to eat
  20. scale — in music
  21. prune — to trim
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. present — a gift
  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