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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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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: date · pitch · stem · club · bank · racket · wax · mouse

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bank — for money
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. club — for dancing
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. club — for golf
  10. stem — to come from
  11. date — the fruit
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bank — for money
  18. pitch — completely
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bank — of a river
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. racket — a loud noise

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