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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: pitcher · cap · coach · wax · object · row · wave · land

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — a thing
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cap — a hat
  8. row — a line
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. land — ground
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. wax — to grow
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. land — a country
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — to paddle
  20. cap — a lid
  21. land — to come down
  22. object — to protest
  23. cap — of ice
  24. wave — with your hand

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