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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. rock — a stone
  3. branch — a division
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. chip — to eat
  9. track — to keep track
  10. rock — music
  11. track — a path
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. track — a song
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — certain
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bound — obliged
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. pitch — completely
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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