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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: fine · wax · pitch · calf · kick · game · kid · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. fine — all right
  3. game — wild animals
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. game — a match
  7. wax — to grow
  8. kid — child
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. kick — in football
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. pitch — completely
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stand — to bear
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. fine — high quality
  24. kid — to tease

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