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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: wax · bat · object · racket · season · suit · stand · pitcher

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. season — in sport
  3. object — a thing
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — to bear
  16. suit — to fit
  17. wax — to grow
  18. object — to protest
  19. bat — the animal
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. object — an aim
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bat — for baseball

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