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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: game · wax · pound · pitcher · hide · foot · staff · drill

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a match
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. drill — the tool
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. staff — a stick
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. drill — army training
  14. pound — a weight
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. staff — employees
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wax — to grow
  19. staff — employees
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. foot — a measure
  23. drill — a practice
  24. pitcher — a jug

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