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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: firm · shower · rock · wax · ball · cabinet · pitcher · land

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. shower — rain
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a dance
  5. firm — steady
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. firm — decided
  8. land — ground
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. rock — a stone
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. land — to come down
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. wax — to grow
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. firm — a company
  22. land — a country
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rock — music

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