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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 · craft · wax · net · stand · key · bass · object

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bass — the fish
  3. key — the most important part
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. key — for a lock
  6. object — a thing
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. net — for catching
  9. object — an aim
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. craft — boats
  13. pitch — completely
  14. object — to protest
  15. net — in sport
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. craft — a skill
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bass — low music
  22. key — in music
  23. wax — to grow
  24. net — after costs

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