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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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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 · calf · band · ground · suit · present · pitcher · squash

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. suit — to fit
  3. ground — the earth
  4. present — there
  5. suit — in cards
  6. present — the time now
  7. band — a music group
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. wax — to grow
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. ground — crushed
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. squash — to crush
  15. suit — clothes
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. squash — the sport
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. ground — a position
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. band — a ring
  24. wax — in the ear

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