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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.

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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: wax · cap · pitch · kick · fan · face · track · racket

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. cap — a hat
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. track — to keep track
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. wax — to grow
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. pitch — completely
  10. cap — a lid
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. face — to confront
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. face — part of the head
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. cap — of ice
  18. kick — in football
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. track — a path
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. track — a song
  24. face — to point toward

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