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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: pitch · bass · wax · chest · date · staff · root · mate

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. root — of a word
  4. mate — a partner
  5. pitch — completely
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bass — low music
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a plant
  10. staff — employees
  11. bass — the fish
  12. staff — a stick
  13. chest — of your body
  14. mate — a friend
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. chest — a box
  18. date — the fruit
  19. mate — to breed
  20. staff — employees
  21. chest — of your body
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bass — the instrument

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