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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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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: key · wax · kid · stand · bear · present · calf · pitch

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  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. present — the time now
  2. kid — child
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wax — to grow
  7. present — a gift
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bear — the animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — to bear
  15. key — in music
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. key — for a lock
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. kid — to tease
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. present — there
  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