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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.

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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: season · wax · pitch · firm · field · fan · pop · bay

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. firm — a company
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pop — to visit
  7. wax — to grow
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. season — of the year
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pop — soda
  15. firm — steady
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. field — a subject
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pop — music
  21. firm — decided
  22. season — in sport
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — farmland

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