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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: bass · ball · wax · bank · court · club · stem · calf

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. court — of law
  3. court — of a king
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. court — for sport
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bass — the fish
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. club — for dancing
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bank — for money
  14. club — for golf
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. club — a group
  17. bank — of a river
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bass — low music
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bank — for money
  23. ball — a dance
  24. stem — of a plant

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