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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: jam · bay · rock · content · wake · mug · wax · ball

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. rock — music
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. mug — to rob
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. mug — a cup
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. wake — a trail
  19. mug — a face
  20. ball — a dance
  21. rock — a stone
  22. ball — a great time
  23. content — the amount
  24. wax — to grow

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