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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
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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: wax · row · drill · mouse · coach · leaves · pitch · game

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wax — to grow
  7. drill — the tool
  8. game — a match
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. pitch — completely
  11. drill — a practice
  12. row — a line
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. drill — army training
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. row — to paddle
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. game — wild animals
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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