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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 120 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: pitch · dip · row · stand · bay · court · wax · temple

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. court — for sport
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. court — of law
  11. wax — to grow
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — a line
  17. court — of a king
  18. row — to paddle
  19. stand — to bear
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to sink
  24. pitch — completely

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