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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wax · fan · racket · bore · ball · deal

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bore — to tire
  3. deal — to handle
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bore — to drill
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. ball — a dance
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. wax — to grow
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bore — gave birth

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