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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 116 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. fork — in a road
  4. content — happy
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. tear — from crying
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. content — the amount
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. scale — size or range
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. rock — a stone
  17. wax — to grow
  18. tear — to rip
  19. rock — music
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. scale — in music
  23. tear — from crying
  24. racket — a loud noise

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