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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: bass · object · patient · march · pop · wax · pitch · bear

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pop — soda
  13. object — an aim
  14. march — the month
  15. object — a thing
  16. pitch — completely
  17. march — the month
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. object — to protest
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. march — music
  23. bass — low music
  24. pop — 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