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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. deal — to handle
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — in sport
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. fine — all right
  9. wax — to grow
  10. fine — high quality
  11. net — for catching
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. staff — employees
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. staff — a stick
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. staff — employees
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. calf — of the leg

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