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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: rash · lean · cap · court · key · can · wax · pitch

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. court — for sport
  3. lean — to bend
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. cap — a hat
  7. rash — a series
  8. key — in music
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — completely
  11. key — for a lock
  12. can — to be able to
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. cap — a lid
  15. lean — thin
  16. court — of a king
  17. can — a tin
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. cap — of ice
  20. court — of law
  21. key — the most important part
  22. can — a tin
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — to grow

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