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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 116 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: drill · perch · pit · craft · pass · wax · fine · ball

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a great time
  6. pit — a hole
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. craft — a skill
  10. drill — the tool
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. pit — in a race
  13. drill — a practice
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. fine — all right
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. drill — army training
  20. pass — a permit
  21. fine — high quality
  22. perch — the fish
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. craft — boats

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