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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: bulb · chest · bass · chair · bear · racket · pitch · wax

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. wax — to grow
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — completely
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bass — the fish

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