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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 · stem · last · bore · deal · chip · band · wax

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bore — to drill
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. band — a ring
  7. bore — to tire
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. last — to go on
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. chip — for betting
  13. stem — to come from
  14. last — finally
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. last — final
  20. chip — to eat
  21. band — a music group
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. wax — to grow

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