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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: degree · fan · nail · racket · bowl · fine · wax · bark

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. degree — from a university
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. fine — all right
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fine — high quality
  17. wax — to grow
  18. degree — temperature
  19. bark — to shout
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. degree — an amount
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wax — in the ear

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