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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: game · wax · nail · pitch · net · season · bore · rest

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  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. bore — gave birth
  2. rest — a break
  3. bore — to drill
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. game — wild animals
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — in sport
  15. season — of the year
  16. bore — to tire
  17. net — for catching
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. season — in sport
  22. game — a match
  23. wax — in the ear
  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