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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: wave · pitch · bat · craft · leaves · court · bowl · wax

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. bat — the animal
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — boats
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. court — of a king
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. court — of law
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bowl — a football final

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