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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: pitch · spring · court · bay · wax · trunk · calf · pound

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. spring — of water
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. spring — a coil
  12. court — of law
  13. spring — the season
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. court — for sport
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. pound — a weight
  22. court — of a king
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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