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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.

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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 · saw · rock · key · current · wax · staff · fall

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fall — to drop
  4. wax — to grow
  5. rock — music
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. rock — a stone
  8. pitch — completely
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. staff — employees
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. current — electric
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. saw — the tool
  16. staff — employees
  17. current — happening now
  18. key — the most important part
  19. current — of water
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. key — in music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. fall — to drop
  24. staff — a stick

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