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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chip · bark · bass · pitch · face · march · wax · key

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. face — to point toward
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. march — music
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. key — in music
  9. march — the month
  10. bark — to shout
  11. wax — to grow
  12. chip — to eat
  13. face — to confront
  14. pitch — completely
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. key — the most important part
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bass — the fish
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. bass — low music
  23. march — the month
  24. key — for a lock

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