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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.

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: can · pop · racket · root · wax · track · row · lash

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. can — a tin
  3. wax — to grow
  4. root — of a plant
  5. pop — to visit
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. track — to keep track
  8. can — a tin
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. row — to paddle
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. root — of a word
  13. track — a song
  14. can — to be able to
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. track — a path
  20. pop — music
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. row — a line
  23. pop — soda
  24. root — the cause

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