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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 120 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 · mark · squash · rock · game · pitch · lean · firm

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. mark — a trace
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. firm — steady
  5. mark — a grade
  6. rock — music
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — a stone
  11. firm — decided
  12. pitch — completely
  13. firm — a company
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. squash — the sport
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. wax — to grow
  20. game — a match
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. lean — to bend
  23. game — wild animals
  24. squash — to crush

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