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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.

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: board · pit · pitcher · hide · fine · wax · scale · can

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. can — to be able to
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. board — to get on
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. fine — all right
  11. board — a committee
  12. can — a tin
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. scale — size or range
  15. pit — in a race
  16. can — a tin
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — high quality
  22. scale — in music
  23. wax — to grow
  24. hide — to keep secret

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