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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: wax · bank · mark · racket · chest · charge · last · pitch

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. last — to go on
  3. charge — in control
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bank — for money
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a grade
  8. charge — electricity
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. charge — a price
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. chest — a box
  13. last — finally
  14. chest — of your body
  15. last — final
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. chest — of your body
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. racket — for tennis

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