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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wax · rush · pitch · rest · bat · vault · sharp · key

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. key — for a lock
  3. rush — hurry
  4. pitch — completely
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. rest — what's left
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. vault — a safe
  11. sharp — clever
  12. rest — a break
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bat — the animal
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. key — in music
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rush — a thrill

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