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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.

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: pitch · chest · rock · roll · racket · dip · wax · sharp

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. wax — to grow
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. chest — of your body
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. chest — of your body
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — completely
  12. roll — a list
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — music
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. roll — a cake
  21. sharp — clever
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — to dunk

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