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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: pitch · fan · squash · band · ground · roll · wax · hide

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. squash — to crush
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — completely
  5. squash — the sport
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. roll — a cake
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. band — a music group
  11. ground — a position
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. ground — the earth
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. wax — to grow
  18. roll — a list
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. ground — crushed

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