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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 116 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: wax · wave · bark · ball · pitch · squash · perch · firm

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. squash — to crush
  3. firm — decided
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. ball — a dance
  6. squash — the sport
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — a company
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. ball — a great time
  23. pitch — completely
  24. squash — the vegetable

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