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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: board · wax · sharp · mark · pitch · firm · current · foot

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  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. mark — to pay attention
  2. foot — a measure
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. board — to get on
  5. sharp — clever
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — steady
  8. mark — a grade
  9. current — electric
  10. wax — to grow
  11. pitch — completely
  12. board — a committee
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. current — of water
  19. mark — a trace
  20. current — happening now
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. firm — a company
  23. foot — part of the body
  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