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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 120 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: ground · bulb · wax · bass · racket · dip · lash · ball

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. ball — a great time
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. ball — a dance
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bulb — for light
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wax — to grow
  16. ground — crushed
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bass — low music
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — the earth
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bass — the fish

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