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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: pitch · tear · wax · temple · coach · squash · foot · cap

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. tear — to rip
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. cap — a hat
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. tear — from crying
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pitch — completely
  11. foot — a measure
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. squash — the sport
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. tear — from crying
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. wax — to grow
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. cap — of ice

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