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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: straw · row · root · ruler · ball · wax · pitcher · scale

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wax — to grow
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. ball — a great time
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. root — the cause
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. root — of a word
  18. scale — in music
  19. row — a line
  20. ball — a dance
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. root — of a plant
  23. scale — size or range
  24. ruler — for measuring

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