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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. kid — to tease
  8. bank — for money
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a committee
  13. track — to keep track
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. track — a path
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. kid — child
  19. track — a song
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. wax — to grow
  22. vault — a safe
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. prune — to trim

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