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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.

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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: sharp · net · bank · bat · wax · pitch · tear · temple

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. tear — from crying
  4. net — after costs
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bank — of a river
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bat — the animal
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. tear — from crying
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — for catching
  19. tear — to rip
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. bank — for money
  22. sharp — clever
  23. pitch — completely
  24. wax — in the ear

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