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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.

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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: pitch · wax · board · race · bass · bank · pit · lie

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bass — low music
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bank — for money
  6. board — to get on
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bass — the fish
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. board — a committee
  11. race — humankind
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a hole
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. pitch — completely
  18. wax — to grow
  19. race — a contest
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bank — for money
  22. lie — to recline
  23. race — the arms race
  24. board — a flat piece

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