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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: bank · mate · pitch · race · object · wax

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mate — to breed
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. race — humankind
  5. wax — to grow
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. object — to protest
  8. mate — a friend
  9. race — a contest
  10. mate — a partner
  11. object — a thing
  12. bank — for money
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bank — of a river
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — completely
  17. race — the arms race
  18. object — an aim

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