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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 · can · wax · pass · season · game · snap · race

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  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. season — in sport
  3. pitch — completely
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. pass — a permit
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. race — the arms race
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. can — a tin
  10. race — humankind
  11. can — to be able to
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. season — of the year
  14. snap — to click
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. game — wild animals
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. game — a match
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. race — a contest
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — to grow
  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