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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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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: wax · firm · wake · sharp · ruler · perch · racket · root

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. root — of a word
  6. firm — decided
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wake — a trail
  10. root — of a plant
  11. wax — to grow
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. perch — the fish
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. firm — a company
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — clever
  23. root — the cause
  24. firm — steady

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