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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 116 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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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 · stand · bowl · capital · perch · wax · firm · fork

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. perch — the fish
  3. stand — to bear
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. capital — money
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. firm — a company
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. capital — a city
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. firm — steady
  21. wax — to grow
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. firm — decided
  24. perch — for a bird

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