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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: pitcher · bank · wax · rush · chair · ball · sharp · mouse

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bank — of a river
  4. rush — hurry
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bank — for money
  19. ball — a great time
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bank — for money
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. sharp — clever

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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