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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: object · can · pitch · hand · deal · march · arm · wax

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. object — a thing
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. can — a tin
  6. object — to protest
  7. march — the month
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. march — music
  12. hand — in cards
  13. wax — to grow
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. can — a tin
  18. hand — help
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. march — the month
  21. pitch — completely
  22. deal — to handle
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. object — an aim

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