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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: key · current · temple · calf · pitch · wax · mate · chair

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  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. chair — a leader
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. current — electric
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. mate — a friend
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mate — a partner
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. pitch — completely
  14. key — in music
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. mate — to breed
  17. key — the most important part
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. current — of water
  21. wax — to grow
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. current — happening now
  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