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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 120 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: squash · racket · march · stand · pass · wax · pitch · chip

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. squash — the sport
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. march — music
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. pass — a permit
  14. squash — to crush
  15. chip — for betting
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. chip — to eat
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. march — the month
  21. march — the month
  22. stand — to bear
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pitch — a sports field

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