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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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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 · rest · ball · fork · root · rock · row · wax

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — music
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. root — of a word
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. rest — a break
  7. wax — to grow
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. row — to paddle
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. rest — what's left
  17. ball — a dance
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — a weight
  20. ball — a great time
  21. row — a line
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — the cause

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