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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: wax · season · swing · pit · pitch · ground · fine · net

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — high quality
  3. net — in sport
  4. swing — to play on
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. net — after costs
  7. ground — the earth
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. season — in sport
  10. wax — to grow
  11. swing — in golf
  12. pitch — completely
  13. fine — all right
  14. ground — a position
  15. season — of the year
  16. ground — crushed
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. pit — in a race
  19. swing — music
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. net — for catching
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — a hole

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