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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
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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: row · wax · bass · pitcher · court · rush · tube · root

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. wax — to grow
  4. row — to paddle
  5. root — the cause
  6. bass — the fish
  7. row — a line
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rush — hurry
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. court — of a king
  18. tube — a container
  19. court — of law
  20. bass — low music
  21. root — of a plant
  22. tube — the underground
  23. court — for sport
  24. root — of a word

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