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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: mark · cold · wax · wound · ruler · suit · toast · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. cold — an illness
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. suit — in cards
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. cold — not warm
  9. suit — to fit
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. suit — clothes
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — a grade
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. pitch — completely
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. wax — to grow
  21. toast — bread
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wound — an injury

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