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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: staff · kick · wax · pitch · craft · march

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. kick — in football
  3. march — the month
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. staff — a stick
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. march — the month
  10. craft — boats
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. craft — a skill
  14. pitch — completely
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — to grow
  17. march — music
  18. pitch — a sports field

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