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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: bay · current · bank · pitch · pitcher · branch · prune · wax

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. branch — a division
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — for money
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. current — of water
  17. current — happening now
  18. pitch — completely
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. current — electric
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. prune — the fruit

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