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

Word bank: pitch · wax · key · bowl · board · rule

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  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. board — to get on
  2. key — in music
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — government
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. wax — to grow
  10. board — a committee
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. key — for a lock
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. key — the most important part
  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