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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: pit · key · pitch · can · lie · wax · drill · band

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  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. band — a ring
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. drill — a practice
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. can — a tin
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. band — a music group
  9. drill — army training
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. wax — to grow
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — the most important part
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. key — in music
  17. drill — the tool
  18. pit — in a race
  19. can — a tin
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. pit — a hole
  22. can — to be able to
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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