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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: snap · fan · rash · track · ball · wax · mug · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. track — a song
  3. ball — a dance
  4. snap — to click
  5. mug — to rob
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. mug — a cup
  8. track — to keep track
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. rash — hasty
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. track — a path
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. ball — a great time
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — to grow
  23. rash — a series
  24. mug — a face

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