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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.

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: bear · row · squash · wax · chair · pitch · spell · jam

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. chair — a leader
  3. squash — to crush
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. spell — magic
  7. squash — the sport
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. spell — letters
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. row — to paddle
  14. pitch — completely
  15. row — a line
  16. spell — a short time
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bear — the animal
  23. wax — to grow
  24. jam — a tight spot

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