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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: racket · pitch · wax · rock · current · face · content · drill

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. rock — music
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. wax — to grow
  5. rock — a stone
  6. drill — the tool
  7. face — to confront
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. current — of water
  13. current — happening now
  14. content — happy
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. drill — army training
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. face — to point toward
  21. content — the amount
  22. drill — a practice
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. current — electric

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