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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: mark · race · present · pitch · wake · wax · bank · jam

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  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. wax — to grow
  2. bank — for money
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. bank — for money
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. present — there
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bank — of a river
  12. mark — a trace
  13. present — a gift
  14. race — the arms race
  15. mark — a grade
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. pitch — completely
  18. race — humankind
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. race — a contest
  23. present — the time now
  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