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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. object — to protest
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. vault — a safe
  9. season — in sport
  10. wax — to grow
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. object — a thing
  14. object — an aim
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bark — to shout
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. season — of the year
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. ball — a dance

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