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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 120 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: pitch · can · rock · wax · pitcher · lash · fine · tube

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. rock — music
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. wax — to grow
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. fine — all right
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. can — a tin
  20. rock — a stone
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. can — a tin
  23. pitch — completely
  24. can — to be able to

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