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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 116 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: wax · firm · club · shower · rash · racket · mouse · pitch

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. firm — decided
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. club — a group
  8. shower — to wash
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. firm — steady
  11. club — for dancing
  12. rash — a series
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pitch — completely
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. shower — rain
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. club — for golf
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. firm — a company
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. wax — to grow
  24. mouse — the animal

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