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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: mate · pitch · court · ruler · ground · track · wax · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  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. arm — part of the body
  2. track — to keep track
  3. wax — to grow
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. court — of law
  6. ground — a position
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. track — a song
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. ground — crushed
  13. track — a path
  14. mate — a friend
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. mate — to breed
  17. ground — the earth
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. court — for sport
  21. mate — a partner
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. court — of a king
  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