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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 · fan · pop · pitcher · foot · bay · ground · rock

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rock — music
  4. pop — to visit
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. ground — the earth
  8. pop — soda
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. rock — a stone
  11. pop — music
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — a measure
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. wax — to grow
  24. rock — to move gently

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