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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: staff · calf · court · swing · mark · rock · wax · pound

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. swing — to play on
  3. wax — to grow
  4. mark — a trace
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. swing — music
  7. staff — employees
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. pound — a weight
  11. staff — employees
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of a king
  17. swing — in golf
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. staff — a stick
  20. mark — a grade
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. court — of law
  23. rock — a stone
  24. wax — for sculpting

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