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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · plane · bat · patient · wax · racket · vault

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. wax — to grow
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. can — a tin
  8. vault — a safe
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. can — to be able to
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. can — a tin
  15. bat — the animal
  16. pitch — completely
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. plane — a tool
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. wax — for sculpting

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