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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: deal · pitch · stick · wound · rush · cap · band · wax

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. band — a music group
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. cap — of ice
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. band — a ring
  13. wax — to grow
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. deal — to handle
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cap — a hat
  23. wound — an injury
  24. rush — hurry

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