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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: game · bank · club · wax · content · foot · object · craft

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — a thing
  4. craft — boats
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. game — wild animals
  8. club — a group
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bank — for money
  12. content — happy
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — a match
  15. object — to protest
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. content — the amount
  18. bank — of a river
  19. craft — a skill
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bank — for money
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. wax — for sculpting

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