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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. fork — in a road
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. net — for catching
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. swing — to play on
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. swing — music
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. net — in sport
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — music
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. net — after costs
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. swing — in golf
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. wax — to grow

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