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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — to grow
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. firm — decided
  9. mate — a friend
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. dip — to sink
  12. firm — steady
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a partner
  19. pitch — completely
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. branch — a division
  24. firm — a company

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