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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: pitch · foot · degree · stand · snap · wax · rock · fine

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. foot — a measure
  4. fine — high quality
  5. degree — from a university
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. snap — to click
  8. fine — all right
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. pitch — completely
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. rock — a stone
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. rock — music
  22. degree — an amount
  23. wax — to grow
  24. degree — temperature

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