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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitcher · bat · key · mate · wax · march · pitch · squash

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. squash — the sport
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. mate — a partner
  9. march — the month
  10. key — in music
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitch — completely
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. key — the most important part
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. march — music
  18. mate — a friend
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. key — for a lock
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. march — the month
  23. wax — to grow
  24. squash — to crush

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