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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pound · bat · mark · wax · bass · mate · wake · stand

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bass — the fish
  7. mate — a friend
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bat — the animal
  14. pound — a weight
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. mark — a grade
  18. wax — to grow
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. wake — a trail
  22. mate — a partner
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. stand — for spectators

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