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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: pound · wake · wax · pitcher · ruler · rock · season · swing

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pound — a weight
  5. wax — to grow
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. rock — music
  9. wake — a trail
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. swing — to play on
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. swing — in golf
  15. season — of the year
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — a stone
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. season — in sport
  23. swing — music
  24. pitcher — a jug

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