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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — music
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. pop — to visit
  7. wax — to grow
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. cold — not warm
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a skill
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. cold — an illness
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. sharp — clever
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wax — for sculpting

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