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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 · coach · land · track · pitch · rock · wound · wax

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. rock — a stone
  3. pitch — completely
  4. track — a song
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. wound — an injury
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. land — to come down
  14. rock — music
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. track — a path
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. land — ground
  20. wound — an injury
  21. land — a country
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the fish

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