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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.

Make a worksheet

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: can · wind · pitch · wax · fall · net · scale · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wind — moving air
  3. march — music
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pitch — completely
  7. net — for catching
  8. scale — in music
  9. wind — moving air
  10. net — in sport
  11. can — a tin
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. fall — the season
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. can — to be able to
  17. scale — size or range
  18. wax — to grow
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. can — a tin
  22. net — after costs
  23. march — the month
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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