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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.

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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 · rock · hand · fan · court · wax · pass · staff

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pop — to visit
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — soda
  8. hand — help
  9. pass — a permit
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. staff — a stick
  12. rock — music
  13. court — of law
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. staff — employees
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. staff — employees
  20. wax — to grow
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — for sport

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