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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pitch · wax · cap · rash · hand · row · bay · suit

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. rash — a series
  5. hand — in cards
  6. pitch — completely
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a hat
  9. row — a line
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. suit — in cards
  12. row — to paddle
  13. suit — clothes
  14. cap — a lid
  15. hand — help
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. rash — hasty
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. wax — to grow
  24. hand — part of the body

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