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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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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: pound · court · row · chair · wax · deal · rock · rest

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. chair — a leader
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. deal — to handle
  8. row — to paddle
  9. court — of law
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. rock — music
  12. pound — a weight
  13. court — for sport
  14. wax — to grow
  15. court — of a king
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. rest — what's left
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. rock — a stone
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. pound — for dogs

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