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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: sharp · wax · object · foot · bowl · bank · pitch · squash

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — an aim
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. squash — the sport
  14. bank — for money
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bank — for money
  18. pitch — completely
  19. squash — to crush
  20. sharp — clever
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. object — to protest
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bank — of a river

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