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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 · fine · toast · pit · sharp · date · rest · wax

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. sharp — clever
  4. date — the fruit
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fine — high quality
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. fine — all right
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pit — a hole
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. wax — to grow
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. rest — a break

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