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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 · ball · pitch · tube · cabinet · rest · saw · wax

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. ball — a great time
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bass — low music
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bass — the fish
  15. pitch — completely
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wax — to grow
  18. rest — a break
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. ball — a dance
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. saw — the tool
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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