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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: bass · can · pitch · net · wax · mate · wind · stand

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bass — the fish
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. stand — to bear
  7. pitch — completely
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. can — a tin
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. net — after costs
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. net — for catching
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. can — to be able to
  19. mate — a friend
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bass — low music
  22. can — a tin
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wind — moving air

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