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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 120 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: land · fan · pass · rock · tube · wax · fork · pitch

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. land — a country
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wax — to grow
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pass — a permit
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — a stone
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. fork — in a road
  18. tube — the underground
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. tube — a container
  22. land — ground
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — completely

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