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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: firm · pitch · rock · rule · bark · rash · wax · ground

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. rule — a law
  6. firm — steady
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. ground — crushed
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — music
  11. rash — a series
  12. rule — government
  13. firm — decided
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. firm — a company
  16. ground — a position
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. ground — the earth
  21. rash — hasty
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. pitch — completely
  24. rock — to move gently

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