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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.

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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: foot · wax · pitch · wound · firm · pound · shower · plane

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. wound — an injury
  4. foot — a measure
  5. firm — steady
  6. shower — rain
  7. pound — a weight
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. firm — decided
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. wax — to grow
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. firm — a company
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. wound — an injury
  22. shower — to wash
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — a tool

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