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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 120 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: mate · fork · season · net · wax · rule · game · band

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. season — in sport
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. band — a music group
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. season — of the year
  8. rule — a law
  9. net — in sport
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. mate — to breed
  12. fork — in a road
  13. mate — a friend
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. wax — to grow
  16. game — wild animals
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. mate — a partner
  19. net — after costs
  20. game — a match
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. wax — for sculpting

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