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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: chair · date · mark · pop · pitch · rash · rock · wax

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  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. pitch — a sales talk
  2. mark — a grade
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. rock — a stone
  7. wax — to grow
  8. pitch — completely
  9. rock — music
  10. chair — a leader
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. mark — a trace
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — music
  15. rash — a series
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. date — the fruit
  19. pop — to visit
  20. rash — hasty
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. wax — in the ear
  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