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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
468
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: leaves · tube · ground · calf · jam · wax · pitch · game

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. game — wild animals
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. ground — a position
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. tube — the underground
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. ground — the earth
  14. pitch — completely
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. tube — a container
  17. ground — crushed
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. wax — to grow
  23. game — a match
  24. leaves — to go away

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