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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 · pit · current · mine · season · face · present · wax

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. face — to point toward
  4. wax — to grow
  5. present — there
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. present — a gift
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. current — happening now
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. face — part of the head
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — completely
  14. mine — for digging
  15. current — electric
  16. pit — in a race
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. present — the time now
  19. pit — a hole
  20. season — in sport
  21. current — of water
  22. season — of the year
  23. face — to confront
  24. wax — for sculpting

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