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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: bass · pitcher · stick · row · ball · wax · current · band

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. current — happening now
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bass — the fish
  6. ball — a great time
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. band — a music group
  9. current — of water
  10. wax — to grow
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a line
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a dance
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. band — a ring
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. current — electric
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. wax — in the ear

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