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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: rest · rash · wax · pit · pitcher · foot · cue · pound

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rash — a series
  11. pound — a weight
  12. cue — for pool
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. cue — a signal
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pit — in a race
  17. rash — hasty
  18. cue — a hint
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. pit — a hole

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