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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: wound · toast · ball · pitch · wax · rock · bass · leaves

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bass — low music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. ball — a dance
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. ball — a great time
  17. toast — bread
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bass — the fish
  24. rock — music

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