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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: wax · bear · mark · pitcher · rest · race · bat · pit

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. race — humankind
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. mark — a trace
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bat — the animal
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. race — the arms race
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. pit — in a race
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. race — a contest
  24. pitcher — a jug

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