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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bank — for money
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. wax — to grow
  5. net — after costs
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. net — for catching
  15. shower — rain
  16. pitch — completely
  17. bank — for money
  18. chair — a leader
  19. bank — of a river
  20. shower — to wash
  21. net — in sport
  22. suit — in cards
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — to fit

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