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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 116 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: cabinet · pop · wax · trunk · bat · mark · clip · pitch

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. clip — for paper
  3. bat — the animal
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. mark — a grade
  9. wax — to grow
  10. clip — to cut
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. mark — a trace
  15. clip — a video
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — soda
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. pop — to visit
  24. wax — for sculpting

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