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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: pop · last · root · mug · wax · rock · can · pound

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. wax — to grow
  3. last — final
  4. last — to go on
  5. root — of a word
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. mug — a cup
  8. can — to be able to
  9. pop — to visit
  10. can — a tin
  11. pop — soda
  12. rock — a stone
  13. can — a tin
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. mug — to rob
  17. pound — a weight
  18. last — finally
  19. root — the cause
  20. mug — a face
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. root — of a plant
  24. rock — music

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