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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: pitch · wax · tube · branch · pop · clip · craft · firm

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. clip — a video
  3. tube — a container
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — to visit
  7. clip — to cut
  8. tube — the underground
  9. craft — boats
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. branch — a division
  13. craft — a skill
  14. wax — to grow
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. clip — for paper
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pop — music
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. firm — decided
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. firm — steady

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