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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: mark · pitch · wind · straw · scale · current · stand · wax

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. scale — size or range
  7. wind — moving air
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. stand — to bear
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. wax — to grow
  13. current — happening now
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. current — of water
  16. current — electric
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. mark — a grade
  20. pitch — completely
  21. mark — a trace
  22. scale — in music
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. wax — in the ear

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