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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.

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: cell · pitcher · club · racket · wax · row · branch · bass

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. cell — in biology
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. branch — a division
  10. wax — to grow
  11. club — for golf
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. row — to paddle
  15. cell — a phone
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. row — a line
  18. club — a group
  19. bass — the fish
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. club — for dancing
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bass — low music

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