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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: mark · game · pitch · present · dip · branch · wax · ball

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a great time
  3. game — a match
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. dip — to sink
  6. present — the time now
  7. mark — a trace
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. present — a gift
  10. wax — to grow
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. pitch — completely
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. game — wild animals
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. present — there
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. mark — a grade
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. branch — a division

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