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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. mark — a grade
  4. roll — a cake
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — a permit
  10. rock — music
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a trace
  20. rock — a stone
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. pound — a weight
  23. roll — a list
  24. coach — a trainer

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