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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 124 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · present · wax · ground · object · pitch · perch · rush

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. object — an aim
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. ground — the earth
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. wax — to grow
  9. present — a gift
  10. present — the time now
  11. ground — a position
  12. rush — hurry
  13. pitch — completely
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. ground — crushed
  16. object — to protest
  17. present — there
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. perch — the fish
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — to rip
  24. object — a thing

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