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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.

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: bear · racket · file · pitcher · game · pitch · wax · ruler

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pitch — completely
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. file — a line of people
  13. game — a match
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. game — wild animals
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bear — the animal
  20. file — a tool
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. file — a document

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