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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: branch · mark · row · scale · bank · safe · wax · pitch

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. wax — to grow
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. branch — a division
  12. pitch — completely
  13. row — to paddle
  14. scale — in music
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bank — of a river
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. row — a line
  23. mark — a trace
  24. scale — size or range

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