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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 120 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: temple · rock · pop · bass · coach · staff · wax · court

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bass — low music
  3. court — for sport
  4. pop — to visit
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bass — the fish
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rock — a stone
  11. pop — music
  12. court — of a king
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pop — soda
  17. staff — employees
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. staff — a stick
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. court — of law
  22. staff — employees
  23. rock — music
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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