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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: squash · club · object · fall · racket · arm · wax · scale

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. club — for dancing
  6. fall — the season
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. club — for golf
  9. squash — the sport
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. object — to protest
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. fall — to drop
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. wax — to grow
  17. scale — size or range
  18. squash — to crush
  19. object — an aim
  20. object — a thing
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. fall — to drop
  23. club — a group
  24. scale — in music

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