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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: pitcher · pass · scale · cabinet · snap · kid · pit · wax

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. kid — child
  5. pit — a hole
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pass — a permit
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wax — to grow
  18. scale — size or range
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. kid — to tease
  23. snap — to click
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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