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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
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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: foot · race · pitcher · club · leaves · game · bore · wax

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. club — for dancing
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. game — wild animals
  13. club — for golf
  14. wax — to grow
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. race — the arms race
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bore — to drill
  19. club — a group
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. race — humankind
  22. race — a contest
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bore — to tire

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