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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: wax · court · pop · trunk · pitcher · foot · board · pitch

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. foot — a measure
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pop — soda
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pop — music
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. wax — to grow
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — to get on
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. court — of law
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of a king
  24. board — a flat piece

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