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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: root · rock · net · march · pass · calf · wax · roll

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. rock — music
  5. net — in sport
  6. root — of a word
  7. pass — a permit
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. root — of a plant
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. root — the cause
  14. roll — a list
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. net — for catching
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. roll — a cake
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — a stone
  22. net — after costs
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — for sculpting

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