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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: deal · can · sharp · wax · pitch · season · firm · snap

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. season — in sport
  5. firm — steady
  6. sharp — clever
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. can — a tin
  9. snap — to click
  10. season — of the year
  11. firm — decided
  12. pitch — completely
  13. deal — to handle
  14. can — a tin
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. firm — a company
  24. wax — to grow

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