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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: perch · pitch · rock · wax · track · bowl

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. rock — music
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. track — a path
  6. track — to keep track
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pitch — completely
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. track — a song

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