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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: fall · wax · bank · bass · mouse · pitch · trunk · pit

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. fall — to drop
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. wax — to grow
  5. fall — to drop
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bank — for money
  8. pit — a hole
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bank — for money
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bass — the fish
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. pitch — completely
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. fall — the season
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — low music
  24. pitch — a sports field

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