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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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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 · coach · track · bowl · content · row · rest · bay

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. track — a path
  9. track — to keep track
  10. row — a line
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. content — the amount
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. track — a song
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. row — to paddle
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. content — happy

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