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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.

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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: bay · pitch · wax · firm · craft · file · calf · content

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. firm — a company
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. file — a line of people
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. wax — to grow
  9. file — a document
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. firm — steady
  15. craft — boats
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. content — the amount
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. content — happy
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. firm — decided
  24. file — a tool

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