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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.

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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: board · wax · pop · bear · track · bass

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. pop — soda
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. track — a path
  7. track — a song
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pop — music
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bear — the animal
  12. board — a committee
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — low music
  15. track — to keep track
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. board — to get on

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