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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 116 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
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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: wax · bass · sharp · track · court · rock · band · game

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. track — to keep track
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. game — wild animals
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — to grow
  7. game — a match
  8. bass — low music
  9. court — for sport
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. court — of a king
  13. rock — music
  14. bass — the fish
  15. band — a music group
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. band — a ring
  20. track — a song
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. court — of law
  23. sharp — clever
  24. track — a path

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