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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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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: safe · court · drill · stick · bass · cap · band · wax

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. band — a music group
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. court — of law
  5. cap — of ice
  6. court — of a king
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. drill — the tool
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. drill — army training
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bass — low music
  14. drill — a practice
  15. wax — to grow
  16. cap — a lid
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — the fish
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. band — a ring
  21. cap — a hat
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. court — for sport

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