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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 116 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: wax · stock · pitch · saw · ball · deal · rash · drill

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. drill — a practice
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. rash — hasty
  8. pitch — completely
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — shares
  16. saw — the tool
  17. drill — the tool
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. deal — to handle
  22. drill — army training
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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