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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: spell · net · pitch · present · can · bat · bass · wax

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. net — for catching
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. spell — magic
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — there
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. spell — letters
  15. can — a tin
  16. bat — the animal
  17. spell — a short time
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. pitch — completely
  20. net — in sport
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. can — a tin
  23. bass — low music
  24. net — after costs

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