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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: snap · sharp · bowl · net · bass · pitcher · mine · wax

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — for catching
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. mine — for digging
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. net — after costs
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bass — the fish
  17. wax — to grow
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bass — low music
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. snap — to click

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