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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: wave · pitch · wake · rock · present · wax · season · degree

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wake — a trail
  4. present — there
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. degree — an amount
  7. pitch — completely
  8. degree — temperature
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — of the year
  11. degree — from a university
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. present — the time now
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. present — a gift
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. season — in sport
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — music
  24. wake — before a funeral

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