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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. firm — steady
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. firm — decided
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bass — the fish
  8. file — a line of people
  9. cue — a signal
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — a division
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. file — a tool
  14. cue — for pool
  15. file — a document
  16. pitch — completely
  17. firm — a company
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. date — the fruit
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bass — low music

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