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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: wound · bear · cold · wax · bore · racket · pitch · fan

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bore — to drill
  4. pitch — completely
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wax — to grow
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. cold — an illness
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cold — not warm
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bear — the animal

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