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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cap · can · pitch · toast · firm · squash · wax · land

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — to grow
  3. can — a tin
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. firm — steady
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the sport
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. cap — of ice
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. can — to be able to
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. land — ground
  14. cap — a hat
  15. land — a country
  16. pitch — completely
  17. toast — bread
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. cap — a lid
  20. firm — decided
  21. land — to come down
  22. can — a tin
  23. firm — a company
  24. wax — for sculpting

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