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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: wax · date · rush · pitch · pop · scale · foot · bass

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. bass — the fish
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. pitch — completely
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — to grow
  10. scale — size or range
  11. rush — hurry
  12. scale — in music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. date — the fruit
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bass — low music
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — soda
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. foot — part of the body

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