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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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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: bowl · pop · racket · wax · scale · craft · safe · spring

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. craft — boats
  5. spring — a coil
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. spring — the season
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. scale — size or range
  13. spring — of water
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. pop — soda
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. scale — in music
  19. pop — music
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. craft — a skill
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. pop — to visit

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