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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: court · wax · shower · can · rush · row · ground · cap

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. can — a tin
  4. row — to paddle
  5. shower — to wash
  6. court — for sport
  7. ground — a position
  8. can — a tin
  9. cap — a hat
  10. ground — the earth
  11. shower — rain
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. can — to be able to
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. cap — a lid
  16. ground — crushed
  17. row — a line
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. cap — of ice
  20. wax — to grow
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — hurry
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — of law

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