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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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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: pitch · patient · wax · ruler · vault · present

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. vault — a safe
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. present — a gift
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. wax — to grow
  15. present — the time now
  16. present — there
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pitch — completely

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