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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 116 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: ground · pitch · wax · nail · bank · coach · field · race

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bank — for money
  3. wax — to grow
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. race — humankind
  6. bank — of a river
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. ground — a position
  11. race — the arms race
  12. ground — the earth
  13. race — a contest
  14. pitch — completely
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — for sport
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. bank — for money
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. ground — crushed
  23. field — a subject
  24. nail — on a finger

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