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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: wax · pit · ground · land · lie · season · pitch · board

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. pitch — completely
  3. season — in sport
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a committee
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. ground — a position
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. land — ground
  12. ground — the earth
  13. wax — to grow
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pit — in a race
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. season — of the year
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. pit — a hole
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. ground — crushed
  24. land — a country

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