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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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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: bank · pitch · wave · board · rock · last · wax · mouse

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bank — for money
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. last — finally
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. pitch — completely
  9. rock — a stone
  10. last — final
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. wax — to grow
  15. last — to go on
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a committee
  20. bank — for money
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. rock — music
  23. bank — of a river
  24. pitch — a sports field

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