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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: cell · pit · wax · bear · racket · ruler

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bear — the animal
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. wax — to grow
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. pit — a hole
  15. cell — a phone
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. ruler — for measuring

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