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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: branch · wax · ball · date · arm · pit · pitcher · land

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. wax — to grow
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. branch — a division
  6. date — the fruit
  7. ball — a dance
  8. pit — in a race
  9. land — ground
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. land — a country
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. land — to come down
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. ball — a great time
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. branch — of a tree

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