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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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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: wave · perch · bear · pass · wax · cabinet · pitch · court

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. court — of law
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pass — a permit
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of a king
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. perch — the fish
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pitch — completely
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bear — to put up with

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