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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 preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. swing — music
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. wax — to grow
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. swing — in golf
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. dip — to sink
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — to breed
  17. pitch — completely
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. branch — a division
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. mate — a friend

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