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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: ball · wax · pitch · key · pit · face · rock · bore

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. pitch — completely
  4. ball — a dance
  5. face — to point toward
  6. pit — a hole
  7. face — part of the head
  8. wax — to grow
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. key — for a lock
  11. pit — in a race
  12. key — in music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bore — to tire
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — music
  23. face — to confront
  24. bore — to drill

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