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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: sharp · clip · pitch · pit · wax · object · charge · wake

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. pitch — completely
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. clip — to cut
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wax — to grow
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. clip — a video
  11. charge — electricity
  12. wake — a trail
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pit — in a race
  16. object — to protest
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. clip — for paper
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — a price
  22. object — an aim
  23. pit — a hole
  24. sharp — clever

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