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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: bound · racket · plane · bulb · ball · swing · wax · craft

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. craft — boats
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bound — obliged
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. swing — music
  12. ball — a great time
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — certain
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. plane — a tool
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — a skill
  21. swing — in golf
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. swing — to play on

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