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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
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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: chest · wax · press · branch · firm · mate · pitcher · pit

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. press — to push
  3. firm — a company
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. firm — steady
  8. mate — to breed
  9. press — newspapers
  10. firm — decided
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. pit — in a race
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. pit — a hole
  16. chest — a box
  17. branch — a division
  18. chest — of your body
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — a friend
  23. press — a publisher
  24. chest — of your body

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