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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 · mate · bound · dip · date · stand · court · pitch

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. pitch — completely
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. court — of law
  5. bound — obliged
  6. mate — a partner
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. wax — to grow
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. mate — to breed
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. court — of a king
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bound — tied together
  17. court — for sport
  18. mate — a friend
  19. date — the fruit
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — to bear
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. dip — to sink
  24. stand — for spectators

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