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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: pitch · object · fork · game · tube · wax · net · bank

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — in sport
  5. bank — of a river
  6. object — a thing
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bank — for money
  9. wax — to grow
  10. game — a match
  11. tube — a container
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. net — for catching
  17. game — wild animals
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bank — for money
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. object — an aim
  23. pitch — completely
  24. game — a kind of play

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