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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: game · fan · saw · spell · racket · degree · firm · wax

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. firm — steady
  4. game — wild animals
  5. wax — to grow
  6. saw — the tool
  7. game — a match
  8. spell — letters
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. degree — temperature
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — decided
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. degree — from a university
  16. saw — the tool
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. spell — magic
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. degree — an amount
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. fan — a supporter

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