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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: bass · tube · ball · leaves · track · wax · cabinet · bat

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. tube — a container
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bass — the fish
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. track — a song
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. track — a path
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a dance
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bass — low music
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bat — the animal
  21. tube — the underground
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — in the ear

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