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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: rock · rest · pitcher · safe · wax · staff · drill · ball

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. staff — employees
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — a stone
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rest — what's left
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. staff — employees
  11. rock — music
  12. drill — a practice
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — to grow
  16. drill — army training
  17. ball — a great time
  18. rest — what's left
  19. ball — a dance
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rest — a break
  23. staff — a stick
  24. drill — the tool

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