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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: pitch · wax · race · sharp · pass · can · fork · pit

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. can — a tin
  5. wax — to grow
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. can — to be able to
  8. sharp — clever
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pitch — completely
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — a contest
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. fork — in a road
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. race — humankind
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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