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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: wax · bark · cabinet · current · pitcher · court · rock · row

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. current — happening now
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. rock — a stone
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — of law
  7. current — of water
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — to grow
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bark — to shout
  19. row — to paddle
  20. court — for sport
  21. rock — music
  22. row — a line
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. current — electric

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