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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
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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: date · nail · pop · tear · wax · game · pitch · toast

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. game — a match
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. date — the fruit
  5. pop — to visit
  6. toast — bread
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pop — music
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. wax — to grow
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pop — soda
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — to rip
  24. date — on the calendar

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