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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
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: arm · fan · ball · kick · pitcher · can · wax · coach

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. ball — a dance
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. can — a tin
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. can — a tin
  16. wax — to grow
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. can — to be able to
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kick — in football

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