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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: racket · fork · arm · wax · saw · club · dip · fan

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. club — for dancing
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. club — a group
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. saw — the tool
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. club — for golf
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wax — to grow
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fork — in a road
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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