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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: board · rash · track · wax · sharp · bear · pitch · mouse

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. rash — hasty
  3. wax — to grow
  4. track — to keep track
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — completely
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. board — a committee
  11. track — a path
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. track — a song
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. board — to get on
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — clever
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — a series

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