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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 116 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: game · tube · leaves · last · net · pitch · mouse · wax

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. net — for catching
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. last — finally
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. tube — the underground
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. wax — to grow
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. net — after costs
  12. last — final
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. net — in sport
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. game — wild animals
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pitch — completely
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. tube — a container
  23. last — to go on
  24. mouse — the animal

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