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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 120 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: object · bulb · bowl · bass · wax · land · chair · pitch

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. wax — to grow
  3. object — an aim
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. land — to come down
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bass — low music
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. pitch — completely
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. land — ground
  17. object — a thing
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. land — a country
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bass — the fish
  24. object — to protest

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