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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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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: row · squash · pitch · pound · fall · wax · capital · safe

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. pitch — completely
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wax — to grow
  5. pound — a weight
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. row — a line
  10. fall — to drop
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. capital — money
  18. capital — a city
  19. squash — the sport
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fall — the season
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. squash — to crush

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