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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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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 · court · mouse · rash · wax · can · drill · foot

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. can — a tin
  5. drill — a practice
  6. court — of a king
  7. foot — a measure
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. can — to be able to
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. court — of law
  18. court — for sport
  19. rash — hasty
  20. drill — army training
  21. can — a tin
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. drill — the tool
  24. wax — to grow

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