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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 120 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 · spring · ball · court · spell · hide · pitch · bay

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. wax — to grow
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. spell — letters
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. court — of a king
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. court — for sport
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — of water
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. ball — a dance
  20. spell — magic
  21. court — of law
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. spell — a short time

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