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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: pitcher · object · trunk · rest · stick · ground · bat · wax

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. ground — the earth
  5. object — a thing
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. ground — a position
  8. bat — the animal
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. object — an aim
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. object — to protest
  18. ground — crushed
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pitcher — a jug

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