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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: pop · pound · pitch · present · mate · safe · wax · key

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. present — the time now
  4. pop — soda
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pitch — completely
  7. present — a gift
  8. key — for a lock
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. key — in music
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pop — music
  13. mate — a friend
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. present — there
  17. mate — to breed
  18. wax — to grow
  19. key — the most important part
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. mate — a partner
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pitch — a sports field

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